The recent rise in migrants entering the Virgin Islands without authorisation is part of a heart-wrenching regional crisis that is likely to get worse before it gets better.
Since mid-February, at least 88 people have been apprehended after entering illegally, including 52 Haitian men, women and children the VI government has struggled to process due to restrictions on sending them back to their violence-plagued country.
In the absence of a purpose-built immigration detention centre, most of them have been housed at Hotel Castle Maria in McNamara.
This situation is far from ideal, and the VI must work with the United Kingdom to do better — especially given that a similar rate of migrant arrivals is likely to continue in the coming months.
Moving forward, the issue is best met with additional resources and a great deal of empathy for people fleeing difficult circumstances.
The Caribbean, like the southern border of the United States and Mediterranean Europe, has long been a hot spot for human migration, lawful or not, as can be expected wherever there is such a dramatic divide in economic prosperity across national boundaries.
This tension has been greatly exacerbated recently by events in Haiti, which for months has been in a state of violent upheaval bordering on anarchy. And for much longer than that, Haitians have endured homelessness, poverty and unemployment stretching back even before the catastrophic earthquake there in 2010.
The VI must keep in mind the desperation that motivates people to flee their home to a better life. Many of them pay human traffickers what few resources they have and risk their lives — and the lives of their children — in unseaworthy vessels just for a chance at improving their circumstances.
That said, it’s undeniable that a small territory like the VI simply lacks the capacity to absorb everyone who may arrive on these shores fleeing adversity at home.
Illegal entry is a clear national security threat, and it needs to be handled accordingly. But any response should place compassion for migrants at the forefront.
In this regard, the VI has sometimes fallen short. For instance, we’re troubled by the rise in anonymous comments posted online that advocate for the criminalisation and immediate deportation of migrants.
In the case of Haitians, international laws could make sending them back home right now as illegal as it would be unfeasible and immoral. There is a clear legal difference between a refugee seeking asylum and others who willfully violate another country’s laws despite having better options.
That distinction raises other questions too. Is prison the best place for migrants fleeing dire situations? No. And the VI government’s current solution — lodging them at the Hotel Castle Maria in crowded, insecure conditions — is not the answer either.
Ultimately, the best long-term solution lies in building and properly funding the purpose-built immigration detention centre that VI leaders have been promising for years. (The previous one, at Balsam Ghut, has been used to house a growing prison population.)
The new facility, while by its nature confining, should be designed not as a prison but as secured temporary housing with sufficient resources for families with children.
A new centre will of course require budgetary support from the VI government. The UK, which has responsibility for security in the territory, should chip in as well.
Additionally, VI policymakers must work to make sure that the proper procedures for handling migrants are in place and in line with international standards and best practices.
Ultimately, all VI residents have a role to play and can contribute positively simply by treating migrants with dignity, respect and empathy.
This costs nothing, and it is a concept that should transcend borders.