Two Years after the Earthquake, Haiti Looks to Brazil

January 12 will mark the two-year anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, which killed an estimated 300,000 and left over 1 million homeless. In a sign of a shift in hemispheric influence, Haitians have begun looking to Brazil for opportunities rather than the United States, the traditional destination for the diaspora. Furthermore, Brazil is developing a new strategy towards the Caribbean country, choosing a diplomatic and humanitarian aid approach rather than military support through the UN’s mission in Haiti, MINUSTAH.

Seeking opportunities, many Haitian migrants enter Brazil illegally through the Amazon, looking for jobs in nearby towns or moving on to centers such as Manaus or São Paulo. According to a report in The New York Times, an estimated 4,000 Haitians have migrated to Brazil since the 2010 earthquake. The Brazilian government has issued humanitarian visas and work authorization for some of these migrants after their arrival, though many still await their papers in border towns, where local authorities provide food and clean water. As well as the opportunity to work in Brazil’s booming economy, migrants find jobs at hydroelectric plants and factories. A Haitian immigrant, Otteneil Neriil, told O Globo: “We came to Brazil, and they help us and treat us as if we were Brazilians. Brazilians have been very good to our country.” Given the numbers of migrants, Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Relations is studying the possibility of creating formal immigration mechanisms for Haitians, which would allow them to enter the country legally with visas. On January 10, Brazil's Minister of Justice announced the government will approve visas and work authorization for the 2,400 undocumented Haitians living in Brazil, and said that the remaining 1,600 Haitian migrants in the country had already been legalized. In addition, the government proposed a program to emit 100 conditional visas per month to Haitians in Port-au-Prince, which would allow migrants to move to Brazil legally. Along with the new visa measures, the government will seek to limit undocumented immigration on Brazil's Amazon borders and crack down on migrant smugglers.

Brazil has had an important relationship with Haiti in the past two decades, having headed MINUSTAH since its creation in 1994, and providing the largest contingent of soldiers for the mission. Brazil was also the first country to donate to the multilateral Haiti Reconstruction Fund after the 2010 earthquake, offering $55 million in aid. The UN, however, is gradually reducing MINUSTAH troops, with all forces scheduled to leave by October 2012, when MINUSTAH’s mandate expires. MINUSTAH troops are unpopular in Haiti following several cases of abuse, including an alleged sexual assault of a Haitian by Uruguayan soldiers, an attempted murder of three Haitians by Brazilian soldiers, and a cholera epidemic many believe originated from Nepalese soldiers. However, the UN’s decision to remove troops stemmed from Haiti’s improved security and lower crime levels. Due to this reduction of troops and the increase in Haitian migrants in Brazil, there are now more Haitians in Brazil than Brazilians in Haiti.

Along with an updated immigration policy, the Brazilian government is adopting a new foreign policy toward the Caribbean country. President Dilma Rousseff will travel to Port-au-Prince on February 1 in her first visit there as president, following a visit to Cuba. Rousseff will seek a cooperative approach, shifting from military support to socioeconomic development through increased cooperation in health, agriculture, vocational training, as well as aiding the construction of a hydroelectric plant on the Artibonite River. Furthermore, some analysts believe the Brazilian government could propose the creation of Brazilian-style social programs for implementation in Haiti, such as the Zero Hunger program or Brazil Without Misery.

Learn More:

• Read an AS/COA Online News Analysis about Haiti’s President Michel Martelly’s government initiatives in 2011.
• Watch a video at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace as experts discuss Haiti, a year after the earthquake.
• Review a UN resolution allowing MINUSTAH to operate in Haiti through October 2012.
• Read the latest report on Haitians in Brazil from The New York Times.