Haiti has initiated a major overhaul of its diplomatic consulate in Suriname following concerns raised by French authorities about the possible involvement of its diplomats in the facilitation of illegal migration.
All but one of the Haitian diplomats stationed in Suriname have been recalled to Port-au-Prince, with 12 locally hired contractors being dismissed as well. Haitian Foreign Minister Dominique Dupuy, who ordered an internal investigation into the matter, informed French and U.S. officials of the decision last week, according to the Miami Herald.
The investigation was triggered after French authorities reported a surge in the number of Haitian migrants arriving in French Guiana via Suriname, many of whom were seeking asylum. It was discovered that at least one charter flight had transported Haitians from Port-au-Prince to Suriname's capital, Paramaribo, in early July.
The scheme reportedly involves Haitians paying up to $4,000 to a travel agency for flights into Suriname, where they then board buses destined for French Guiana or Brazil. In Brazil, they continue their journey northward to the U.S.-Mexico border, traversing the treacherous Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama.
The investigation found that some of those trafficked were underage children who entered Suriname using falsified documents from Haitian child-welfare agencies, claiming they were unaccompanied minors reuniting with family.
The outlet reported that, according to sources interviewed, such activities could not occur without the complicity of diplomatic staff and possibly other officials in Haiti and Suriname.
The ongoing investigation has also identified two companies allegedly involved in the current scheme: SAYA Travel agency in Haiti and Fly All Ways, a regional airline based in Suriname. The U.S. State Department's 2024 Trafficking In Persons report highlighted the risks faced by migrants in Suriname, noting that traffickers target the increasing number of asylum-seekers and migrants, many of whom lack legal protection. The report specifically mentioned that women and girls are particularly vulnerable to sex trafficking in Suriname's brothels, massage parlors, and illegal gold mining camps.
It is not the only corruption scandal rocking Haitian authorities at the moment: three members of the country's newly-formed transitional council reportedly demanded over $750,000 from a member of a state-owned bank in exchange for allowing him to retain his position.
The accused council members have vehemently denied the bribery accusations, refusing calls for their resignation. The bank official who made the allegations, Raoul Pierre-Louis was in turn removed from his position, with a commission taking over the bank's operations until a new board of directors is appointed.
The allegations have sparked a significant political controversy, with concerns that they could undermine the U.S.-backed transition efforts aimed at stabilizing Haiti and preparing for its first presidential and parliamentary elections in nine years.
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