Crowd of Haitian schoolchildren smiling for the camera (Kendra Helmer/USAID)
Schoolchildren in Port-au-Prince, Haiti (Kendra Helmer/USAID)

The United States is working with Haitian leaders to address the root causes of the Haitian migration crisis.

Brian A. Nichols, U.S. assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, traveled to Haiti September 30 to October 1. He met with political and civil society leaders to discuss solutions to benefit all Haitians.

These included efforts to make Haiti safer and more prosperous for its citizens and support for Haitian migrants returning to the island. The U.S. Agency for International Development has pledged $5.5 million in assistance to support the reception and reintegration of Haitians returning to Haiti. Nichols and the Haitian leaders also discussed how to address crime and strengthen Haitian institutions — governmental, societal and economic.

“We support inclusive Haitian-led solutions to Haitian challenges,” Nichols said on September 30 after meeting with civil society leaders.