Following attacks by Haitians on immigration officers during mass repatriation operations, Vice Admiral Luis Rafael Lee Ballester, Director of Immigration, said this week that officers are now authorized in the event of an attack by migrants to use force against people in an irregular migration situation.

Lee Ballester said the Directorate of Immigration would respect human rights, but would also use "proportionate force" to prevent attacks, specifying, "Understand clearly what proportionate force means. An attempted aggression must be responded in accordance of the threat received," the Vice Admiral responded.

To prevent attacks, Lee Ballester said agents are trained "to a new standard" governed by the current regulatory framework. "They are trained to respect dignity, human rights and the vulnerable population, but anyone who tries to attack the authority knows that they will receive a corresponding response."

S/ HaitiLibre