Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Caribbean counterparts on migration on the island of Hispaniola.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is deeply concerned about the serious security and humanitarian crisis in Haiti, which is driving significant migration pressures on Hispaniola and neighbouring islands. We are working with international partners to address this, including through the creation of the Gang Suppression Force and support for UN sanctions on those responsible for instability in Haiti. In October, I spoke with the Haitian Foreign Minister, Jean-Baptiste, and the Dominican Vice Minister for Multilateral Affairs, Rubén Silié Valdez, about the significant challenges in Haiti. The Minister for International Development also met the Haitian Foreign Minister on 17 November. During my visit to Jamaica last week, migration from Haiti to nearby islands was raised in discussions with partners.