White House mulling use of Gitmo as Haitian migrant repatriation site

WASHINGTON

The White House acknowledged Thursday it is mulling the use of part of the controversial naval facility at Guantanamo Bay as a migrant processing center to cope with an influx of asylum seekers from Haiti.

The naval facility in Cuba is roughly 200 miles (321 kilometers) from the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince.

Guantanamo is equipped with a migrant processing facility but the site is far better known for its scandal-plagued role as a holding center for detainees during the War on Terror.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby maintained that the US will continue to return any Haitians who are detained at sea directly to their home country but said the Biden administration is considering the use of an existing site at Guantanamo "for repatriation processing."

"It certainly remains an option to look at," he said. "I don't have any concrete plans here to speak to. I think it's important for people to remember the context here, that maritime migration remains a challenge in the Caribbean. We have to monitor it. We have to assess the flow. We have to do the proper repatriation processes."

Haiti has been struggling with gang violence and political instability for years. The situation dramatically deteriorated in recent months, with kidnappings, killings, armed robberies and other violent crimes becoming commonplace.

The rampant instability has further exacerbated an exodus of migrants from Haiti, and Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigned Monday after fleeing the island nation for Puerto Rico.

CNN reported earlier that the Biden administration is examining the use of Guantanamo to address the migrant crisis and said Washington is considering an expansion of the migrant processing site.

Prior to his resignation, Henry requested the deployment of an international assistance mission to help restore order and security.

Plans to deploy a Kenyan police force with monetary assistance from the international community, including the US, are in flux following Henry's resignation.