Thread: RED CROSS 'plan' 45,000 evacuees from Haiti to Florida

RED CROSS 'plan' to bring 45,000 evacuees from Haiti to Florida; Mass migration?...

Plan To Bring Haitians To Central Fla. Not Set In Stone

Posted: 11:31 pm EST January 14, 2010
Updated: 1:50 pm EST January 15, 2010

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The American Red Cross says a plan to bring 45,000 evacuees from Haiti to Florida, and 4,000 of those to Orange County, is not set in stone. The Red Cross clarified Friday who could be involved in a plan to move people out of Haiti.

The Red Cross is preparing for two things: the repatriation of Americans living in Haiti and the possibility of a mass migration of Haitian nationals.

The American Red Cross has seen massive migration into the U.S. from areas like Kosovo and Bosnia in the past, but no determination has been made yet in the case of Haiti. But the repatriation of Americans has already begun. Eyewitness News was told that it includes people like missionaries who may have already been working in Haiti before the quake.

The U.S. citizens are being brought into South Florida through Miami and Homestead, where their identities can be verified. Thursday night, five flights arrived with 190 Americans on board.

“I think that we will continue see U.S. citizens coming in over the weekend and through the beginning of next week. And that would be our first focus and first wave and, I think, as the conditions are assessed in Haiti and some decisions are made both with our federal government and the Haitian government about what’s best for their citizens,â€

Haiti Evacuees Stream Into Central Fla.

POSTED: Tuesday, January 19, 2010
UPDATED: 10:52 am EST January 19, 2010

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Exhausted and weary children who survived the earthquake in Haiti found comfort Tuesday morning on the carpeted floor of Orlando International Airport, where they fell fast asleep.

Since Saturday, nearly 2,000 earthquake victims from Haiti have been flown into the Orlando area, which has been declared the major hub in the United States for military flights being used in the operation, according to officials. Planes carrying victims are also being taken to Homestead in South Florida.

The repatriated U.S. citizens, which means they're either U.S. citizens who were visiting Haiti at the time of the quake or individuals born in Haiti who have residences in the United States, clear customs and then are provided food, comfort kits and assistance.

"We couldn't sleep in the house. We had to sleep in the yard -- with nothing," said Patricia Debuisson, who arrived in Orlando Monday night. "My family members have nothing left. Everything is debris, or under debris. Corpses. It's very chaotic." IMAGES: Devastation In Haiti Members of the Florida Department of Children and Families and the American Red Cross are helping the evacuees make flight arrangements so they can be reunited with family or friends. The earthquake victims are also eligible for an on-site loan to assist with travel plans, DCF officials said.

U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo planes carrying earthquake victims have been landing at Sanford Orlando International Airport since Saturday. Most of the passengers are then bussed to Orlando International Airport, which offers more flights throughout the country. Fifteen patients have been taken to hospitals for emergency medical care, Seminole County officials said.

[A U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo plane carrying evacuees from Haiti lands at Orlando Sanford International Airport.]
A U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo plane carrying evacuees from Haiti lands at Orlando Sanford International Airport.

Local 6 News reported on Tuesday that dozens of children, including 53 orphans and others whose parents sent them out of Haiti with friends to escape the devastation, were among the passengers flown to Central Florida early Tuesday morning.

Since Saturday, 30 unaccompanied minors have arrived in Central Florida, including a 17-year-old traveling with a 3-month-old sibling, according to the DCF.

"We had one mother and her child, and we believe (the mother) did have a fracture," said DCF spokeswoman Carrie Hoeppner. "She didn't want to go to see anyone in Haiti, so she made the trip back here and she needed to go to the hospital."

More flights carrying evacuees were expected to arrive in Central Florida throughout the week, including up to 14 flights carrying about 800 people on Tuesday.

Seminole County on Tuesday activated its emergency operations center at Orlando Sanford International Airport to help assist the evacuees. Officials said items needed for the earthquake victims include money, nonperishable food, baby formula, hygiene products and first-aid supplies.

Donations can be made at Harvest Time International, which is located at 225 Kennel Road in Sanford. For more information, call 407-665-5017.

A powerful 7.0-magnitude earthquake rocked the island country last week, killing at least 70,000 people. The death toll could be as many as 200,000, and 1.5 million people are homeless.

The United Nations said on Monday that it needs 100 million prepared meals over the next 30 days to help the victims in Haiti.

Rescuers continue searching for survivors, and two women were pulled Monday from a collapsed building at a university about 140 hours after the earthquake rocked the region. OPINION: Let Your Voice Be Heard By Commenting Below Despite a mandatory curfew, looting is still running rampant. News crews spotted a Catholic church that was set on fire by angry mobs. Hundreds are also climbing over the collapsed walls of shops, many desperate for anything to block the scent of the dead.

How To Help

There are several ways to donate to the Haiti earthquake relief fund.

Red Cross

You can text “HAITIâ€

Orange County Mayor Rich Crotty says he has some concerns with the possible plan. If Haitians are brought to Central Florida, the county, city and possibly other area communities will have to scramble to figure out where to put the earthquake victims, and it will be a tough challenge.

"It would occur to me that there is a legal process associated with that and it would probably have to come through the State Department in terms of citizenship and visas, work visas [and] that sort of thing," Mayor Crotty said.

What that influx of people brings with it is a very large service demand, particularly in the area of social services in what is already a tough economy.



The Mayor brings up good points and what I'd like to know is this:

Why is it that they are talking about bringing 45,000 Haitians here and it would somehow translate into these people being granted citizenship, visas, work visas, etc. AND being supported via our social services system?

This is LUDICROUS

Look, what happened in Haiti is truly a terrible thing, my heart goes out to those people and I wouldn't, for the world, begrudge them help and anything they need to recover from this.

I would also say that yes, I can agree that there might be special circumstances which require bringing some refugees here.....intensive medical care, children until such time as they can be returned to their families or orphanages, the elderly or infirm susceptible to illness and injury....things like that.

But, if that's done then the organizations who bring them, need to make sure they are housed in refugee facilities with no excuses that it's "inhumane" and also need to make sure that some of the billions in aid pouring in is used to care for them.

There is NO justification for bringing able bodied Haitians into this country just because they were victims of a natural disaster and granting them work visas and social services benefits. They are needed at home to rebuild their country and the biggest favor would be to keep them there doing so, teaching them trades and skills, and paying them.

WE just cannot AFFORD this!!!

Mass exodus fears: Haitians seeking refuge in U.S. will be returned

* By ELYSA BATISTA
* Posted January 18, 2010 at 7:27 p.m.

NAPLES — With Haitian nationals' homes destroyed and many of their family members dead, there are fears the U.S. could see an influx of those trying to escape the devastation of last week’s earthquake.

“It would make sense if you have nothing left, to head out to a place with more opportunity,â€

In Houston things got worse after Katrina and the people that were bussed here.