Returning Haitians Could Be the Answer Haiti Has Been Praying For  

Deandrea Hamilton | Editor

What if we rejected the notion that Haitians flourish best only when they are outside of Haiti? What if the next great Haitian success story is not another exodus, but a hearty homecoming? For years, the conversation has been steered toward ushering Haitians out of Haiti. Having witnessed the indomitability of the Haitian people, I feel compelled to point out that a U.S. Supreme Court decision may force us to see what has been staring us in the face all along: the solution may be hundreds of thousands of Haitians themselves.

As thousands of Haitians in the United States prepare for the end of Temporary Protected Status (TPS)—a humanitarian programme created under U.S. law as a temporary protection, not a permanent immigration pathway—the conversation should extend beyond American immigration policy. It should turn to Haiti’s future.

History offers perspective. An estimated 20,000 to 30,000 Haitian revolutionaries defeated Napoleon’s forces and secured independence in 1804, making Haiti the first Black republic and the second independent nation in the Western Hemisphere. Now imagine the force of more than 300,000 Haitians returning with skills, discipline and experience gained in the world’s largest economy.

Add to that, Haiti is itself sending a clear message: the country needs its people.

I found a report from the Armed Forces of Haiti (FAd’H) which recently announced that 17,722 applicants came forward in just 11 days during its latest recruitment campaign. A second recruitment phase is planned and will specifically target professionals in law, engineering, medicine and other technical fields, as the country works to strengthen institutions, restore security and prepare for the future.

Coincidentally—or perhaps providentially—many of the Haitians now facing the end of TPS are not returning empty-handed. They include thousands of nursing assistants, caregivers, mechanics, delivery drivers, warehouse workers, agricultural workers, hotel employees, cooks, retail workers, security officers, landscapers, school assistants and property managers. They are returning with years of experience gained inside the world’s largest economy. They have learned trades, embraced innovation, worked within structured systems, met professional standards and developed the practical skills every successful nation depends upon.

These are not simply returning migrants.  They may be the human capital Haiti needs most.

For generations, Haitians have become experts at surviving and thriving in other lands. They have endured political upheaval, natural disasters, poverty, insecurity and displacement with extraordinary resilience. But survival and escape  cannot build their nation. At some point, survival must give way to rebuilding. And hope for home must command action. It requires people willing to invest not only in their families, but in the future of the country itself.

For decades, the Haitian diaspora has faithfully sustained families through remittances. That generosity has been indispensable. But rebuilding Haiti will require something remittances alone cannot provide. It will require human capital—teachers in classrooms, nurses in clinics, engineers on construction sites, entrepreneurs creating jobs, police protecting communities, judges strengthening the rule of law, and citizens committed to rebuilding the institutions that hold a nation together.

Anyone who has spent time in Haiti knows it is far more than the headlines. It is a nation of breathtaking mountains, secret waterfalls, fertile valleys and rice paddies. It is a land of remarkable creativity, deep faith, natural entrepreneurs, rich culture and resilient people. It is the oldest republic in Latin America and the Caribbean and the first Black republic in the modern world. Above all, it is a country worth fighting for.

Perhaps the fight itself now needs to change.

For too long, the world has defined Haiti by its crises. Haitians know it by its promise. The next fight should not simply be to survive, but to rebuild—to inject a new generation of skilled workers, professionals and entrepreneurs into a nation that desperately needs their mental muscle, their experience and their vision.

Returning home will not be easy, but what if returning became rewarding and the contribution of these thousands of Haitians became the catalyst for transforming or reforming the nation they call home?

No country can export its builders forever and expect to become stronger. Haiti has spent decades sharing its greatest resource with the world—its people. Perhaps the next chapter in Haiti’s remarkable story is not another exodus, but this very homecoming.

The next chapter of Haiti’s story should not be written at an airport departure gate, nor should it be framed only as horror for those whose TPS protections are ending. The real test now is whether advocates, attorneys, governments and the wider Caribbean do more than wave goodbye. We must help more than 330,000 Haitians find their footing, settle back in, put their skills to work and build the Haiti that generations of Haitians have always deserved.

Research & Development supported by ChatGPT AI