Haiti: Information on the documents required for a Haitian to obtain a passport, on whether Aristide supporters faced any difficulties in obtaining passports in 1992 and on whether high-profile Aristide supporters and election candidates faced difficulties obtaining passports in 1993
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 September 1995 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | HTI21742.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Haiti: Information on the documents required for a Haitian to obtain a passport, on whether Aristide supporters faced any difficulties in obtaining passports in 1992 and on whether high-profile Aristide supporters and election candidates faced difficulties obtaining passports in 1993, 1 September 1995, HTI21742.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ac504.html [accessed 29 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
According to an official at the Haitian embassy in Ottawa, a Haitian applying for a passport needs a birth certificate, four passport-size photos and his or her identity card (7 Sept. 1995). In the case of a passport renewal, the person only need to show his or her former passport (ibid.).
Although the official was absent from Haiti during the years 1992 and 1993, and stressed that fact during the telephone interview with the DIRB, the source stated that given the junta's lack of political legitimacy and its aggressive attitude towards political opponents, as most of Aristide's supporters were considered, it is possible that an Aristide supporter may have encountered difficulties in obtaining a passport (ibid). The official also added that the probability of facing difficulties in obtaining a passport would have increased if the applicant was a well-known Aristide supporter, such as an electoral candidate or a colleague of Aristide's.
A professor of sociology at the University of Québec at Montréal (UQAM), corroborated the above information in a 7 September 1995 telephone interview, stating that it was highly probable that an Aristide supporter, particularly a high-profile one, would have had problems in obtaining a passport in 1992-1993. The professor mentioned that there was a "hunt" for Aristide supporters at that time. Unless a high-profile Aristide supporter had an international reputation, in which case the regime could have feared some sort of reprisal from the international community, it is doubtful that a passport could have been obtained easily during the years 1992-1993 by any Aristide supporter, the professor stated.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Embassy of the Republic of Haiti, Ottawa. 7 September 1995. Telephone interview with an official.
Professor of sociology, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM). 7 September 1995. Telephone interview.
