Haiti asks Caricom’s help to deal with Dominican Rep. deportations: EFE

Bridgetown, Barbados .- Haiti president Michel Martellyon Friday asked his counterparts of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) to find apeaceful solution to the crisis he affirms Dominicans of Haitian descent face asdeportees from the Dominican Republic, EFE reports.

Caricom countries have criticized Dominican Republic’s policyon repatriations, while both the United Nations and the African, Caribbean andPacific (ACP) nations have stated a willingness to intercede.

"Haiti prefers to stay on the negotiating table withDominican Republic to resolve the crisis peacefully," Martelly said duringhis speech at the Caricom summit held in Barbados, after noting that manypeople have reached the border to leave the Spanish-speaking country in recentdays.

In just a few days, he said, "we had over 20,000people returning, including a person who claims to be from Nigeria. "

"But one thing I know is that two nights ago 21people were forced to return to Haiti. They didn’t come voluntarily, they werearrested and returned to Haiti. It seems that they are not all Haitians."

Martelly called the situation faced by his country a “humanitariancrisis, because “we aren’t talking about Haitians, it’s probably Dominicans takenout of their country.”