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Why were there so many Cuban and Haitian refugees in 1994?

The USA is a wealthy country, but many of the small countries nearby are very poor. Two of these countries are Cuba and Haiti.

In the United States, the average annual income in 1994 was 23 240 US dollars, but in Haiti the average annual income was just 250 US dollars. It's no surprise many people in countries like these see America as a place where they could be better off.

Hungry children in Haiti. Photo by: Wally McNamee for Newsweek (Masland et al, 1994: 59)

Repressive government in Haiti
To make things worse, in 1994 both countries had repressive governments. At that time Haiti was ruled by a military junta which took power in a coup. Anyone who disagreed with the junta was persecuted by the army, or beaten up or murdered by militia thugs who supported the army. Many people had to escape because of their political views.

When the junta first took power in 1992 more than thirty thousand Haitians tried to sail to the United States. They wanted political asylum, in other words, they wanted to be allowed to live in the USA because they were persecuted for their political views in Haiti.

But the United States Government lead by President George Bush didn't want to let them in. Instead, they sent back every boatload of refugees without letting them apply for political asylum.

President Clinton changes policy
After Bill Clinton became President he changed that policy. He said it was inhumane to just turn them back without giving them a chance to apply. In May 1994 Clinton decided that any refugees who were picked up at sea would be taken to a ship or another country and interviewed. They'd be given a chance to apply for asylum.

Once news of this decision reached Haiti, thousands of people set sail, in anything they could find that would float. Some people sold everything they owned to buy a place on an overcrowded rickety boat. Some boats sank and hundreds of people drowned. For the next few months, up to ten thousand Haitians set sail every week.

Two Haitian men repair a boat to sail to America. Photo by Wally McNamee for Newsweek (Masland et al, 1994: 58)

At first the United States kept the refugees on a ship in Jamaica, but that quickly became overcrowded, so they moved them to refugee camps in Panama and at a United States Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay.

The Cuban situation
In Cuba the story was a bit different. Like Haiti, Cuba is a poor country. But the United States have a long history of animosity towards Cuba, ever since Fidel Castro took over the country in a coup in 1959. Before that, the United States had very close ties with Cuba, and Americans owned many of the businesses there. But Castro threw them out and set up a Communist government.

The United States never forgave Castro, and they had a rule that any refugee from Cuba, would automatically be allowed to stay in the USA. But Castro's government was also repressive. Many Cubans wanted to go to the USA because their political views were suppressed, or just because they wanted a better life, but it was against the law to try to leave. Many people were put in prison for trying.

United States policy changes

But in August 1994 the Cuban Government changed their policy, they would no longer stop people leaving. For the first time Cuban people were free to go, and they knew that they would be allowed to stay in the USA if only they could get there. Thirty-five thousand set off in boats or even on rafts to try and paddle across the Caribbean to Florida. Because so many were trying to get into America at once, the United States decided they also had to change their policy. Clinton decided the Cubans would now be sent to Guantanamo Bay first and have to apply for entry like everyone else.

By the end of September 1994, more then 50 000 Cubans and Haitian were packed into the refugee camp at Guantanamo Bay.

After all that, only about 8% to 10% of the refugees were finally given asylum and let into America. In the end all the rest were sent home.

A typical boat jammed with Haitians is picked up by the US Coastguard. Photo by: Pac Rick Woods, US Coast Guard (Masland et al, 1994: 60)

The boat was so overcrowded it turned over. Photo by: Pac Rick Woods, US Coast Guard (Masland et al, 1994: 60)

and the refugees had to be rescued from the water. Photo by: Pac Rick Woods, US Coast Guard (Masland et al, 1994: 60)