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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security proposed a new process that would disqualify individuals seeking asylum earlier in the asylum request process, allowing authorities to expel migrants quickly if they have been convicted of dangerous crimes, according to a May 9 statement. 

U.S.: Government Announces New Process To Expedite Expulsion of Some Asylum Seekers

Politics

Haiti's transitional presidential council announced on May 8 that instead of having council member Edgard Leblanc Fils serve indefinitely as its president, the council will operate under a rotating presidency that switches between four council members every five months, AP reported on May 9.

Haiti: Transitional Presidential Council Adjusts Operating Policies To Avert Crisis

Haiti's transitional presidential council elected former Senate President Edgard Leblanc Fils as the council's president and former Sports Minister Fritz Belizaire as Haiti's new interim prime minister, Reuters reported on April 30. 

Haiti: Transitional Council Chooses Internal President and Interim Prime Minister

Haiti established its transitional presidential council on April 12, with Haiti's official gazette publishing a decree announcing the council's formation, Al Jazeera reported on April 13.

Haiti: Transitional Presidential Council Takes Control of Government

Members of Haiti's transitional council sent their plan to the Caribbean Community late on April 7, indicating that the council will select a new prime minister and focus on paving the wave for elections, with plans for the next government to take power on Feb. 7, 2026, France 24 reported on April 8.

Haiti: Transitional Council Deal Finalized, Sent to Prime Minister for Approval

Kenya

The Caribbean Community urged Haitian political figures selected for the transitional council to move forward with plans to replace Prime Minister Ariel Henry, Reuters reported on April 3.

Haiti: Disputes, Legal Hurdles Further Slow Transitional Council Process

Former senator and presidential candidate Moise Jean-Charles said his Petit Desalin party will participate in the transitional presidential council intended to replace Prime Minister Ariel Henry, in a shift from his previous position, the Miami Herald reported on March 20.

Haiti: Former Senator Says Party Will Join Transitional Council Following Prior Refusal

Jimmy "Barbecue" Cherizier, the leader of Haiti's largest gang, threatened the lives and families of any political figures who decide to participate in the transitional council intended to replace Prime Minister Ariel Henry, Reuters reported on March 14.

Haiti: Formation of Transition Council Faces Challenges

Snapshots

A Haitian police officer controls the area around the country's National Palace in Port-au-Prince on May 1, 2024.

The reversal in the transitional council's appointment of a new prime minister highlights political tensions within the governing body, indicating risks of further political instability and violence in the coming months.

Disputes Over a Prime Minister Appointment Bode Ill for Haiti's Stability

A woman carrying a child runs from an area in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, after hearing gunshots on March 20, 2024.

The Caribbean nation's humanitarian and security crises are set to worsen in the weeks ahead, as gangs seize more territory and the U.N.-backed security deployment faces delays.

In Haiti, Weeks of Extreme Gang Violence Show No Sign of Easing

Assessments

Senegal

Brazil

China

France

Chinese President Xi Jinping on March 11, 2024, in Beijing.

U.S.-China Relations

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Senegalese Presidential Elections, Xi Meets With U.S. CEOs

A protester burns tires during a demonstration in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on March 12, 2024, after Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced his plans to resign. 

For Kenya, sending police officers to the gang-ridden Caribbean country will likely help it boost ties with the West if the mission is a success, but it risks triggering public backlash at home.

What a Planned Police Deployment to Haiti Means for Kenya

Haitian police officers deploy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on March 9, 2024. 

The government's political transition plan is unlikely to improve the gang-ridden country's deteriorating security crisis, while the potential deployment of U.N.-backed troops may temporarily make it worse.

What's Happening in Haiti?

Media

Podcasts

What is behind Haiti's violent protests, and what do they mean for the country going forward?

Essential Geopolitics: The Implications of Ongoing Violent Unrest in Haiti

A man adds wood to a fire burning in the streets of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Oct. 3 amid protests demanding the resignation of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry. 

Haiti's political, criminal and economic crises will have broader impacts on the region.

Haiti Descends Deeper Into Chaos as Protests Continue

Ariel Henry speaks as he becomes prime minister of Haiti on July 20, 2021, in the capital of Port-au-Prince. Rival claims to Haiti's government would undermine the legitimacy of the electoral process, the economy and the country's security situation.

Rival claims to Haiti's government would undermine the legitimacy of the electoral process, the economy and the country's security situation.

Haiti's Prime Minister Appears to Reject a Transitional Government, Portending Turmoil

In this podcast, we discuss how the devastating effects of a major earthquake followed by a tropical storm will exacerbate Haiti's political crisis.

Essential Geopolitics: Political Turmoil and Natural Disasters Beset Haiti

An Aug. 16, 2021, photo shows a building in Les Cayes, Haiti, that collapsed after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck the nation two days earlier. Interim President Ariel Henry will likely use the earthquake to delay elections and coordinate foreign relief efforts to serve his interests.

Interim President Ariel Henry will likely use the earthquake to delay elections and coordinate foreign relief efforts to serve his interests.

Haiti's Earthquake Will Worsen Its Crises, and Help Its Interim President Consolidate Power

Haitian security forces look for evidence outside of President Jovenel Moise’s residence in Port-au-Prince following his assassination on July 7, 2021. 

Security

Security Challenges in Latin America

The further deterioration of their country’s economy and security environment will push more Haitians to seek refuge in neighboring countries and France.

The Assassination of Haiti’s President Portends a Migrant Surge 

Americas

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COVID-19

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

As the pandemic leaves more migrants out of work and unable to send money back home, many developing countries that rely on those cash inflows can expect major recessions and increased instability.

COVID-19 Will Cause Global Poverty to Spike

Haiti is a small island nation cursed by geography. It is part of the island of Hispaniola, located west of the Dominican Republic. Haiti is a very poor country, the poorest in the Western Hemisphere according to some estimates. Like many other Caribbean states, Haiti began as a European colony and developed after independence in isolation from its neighbors. The modern state of Haiti occupies a geographic area roughly the same as it did at independence.     Haiti owes its existence to the French empire's demand for sugar, which led to centuries of sugar agriculture on the island. To farm the sugar cane, the French imported tens of thousands of slaves from West Africa. It was from these slaves that the modern Haitian nation was born. Haitian slaves rebelled against their masters in 1791, kicking off a decade of insurgency against the French. The revolution ended in 1804 with the expulsion of French forces and Haiti's independence.    Because it lacks profitable minerals (and because the rich aristocracy was destroyed during the violent revolution), Haiti has historically had problems generating capital. The country's origins as a source of sugar and other commodities made it dependent on agriculture for most of its history. The country's mountainous interior made it difficult to conduct profitable agricultural activity. Haiti lies in the United States' near abroad, but its economic development is minimal and its foreign trade remains small by global standards.    Haiti's biggest contemporary challenge is poverty. Haiti was isolated from global trade after its slave rebellion by European powers and the United States, who refused to trade with the newly independent state. During the 20th century, Haiti's persistently chaotic politics led to a temporary U.S. occupation but little in the way of economic development. Not surprisingly, people leave the island in droves every year. Historically, hundreds of thousands of migrants have resettled in the United States, though they are now arriving in South America in larger numbers because of stricter U.S. immigration regulations.

SITUATION REPORTS

U.S.: Government Announces New Process To Expedite Expulsion of Some Asylum Seekers

Haiti: Transitional Presidential Council Adjusts Operating Policies To Avert Crisis

Haiti: Transitional Council Chooses Internal President and Interim Prime Minister

Haiti: Transitional Presidential Council Takes Control of Government

Haiti: Transitional Council Deal Finalized, Sent to Prime Minister for Approval

Haiti: Disputes, Legal Hurdles Further Slow Transitional Council Process

Haiti: Former Senator Says Party Will Join Transitional Council Following Prior Refusal

Haiti: Formation of Transition Council Faces Challenges

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