Photo sourceFRANCE SPEEDS UP HAITI'S DEBT CANCELLATION
France’s Finance Minister says she has asked creditors of earthquake-ravaged Haiti to speed up plans to cancel its debt.
Christine Lagarde says she “made contact with all Paris Club members so we accelerate the cancellation of the government of Haiti’s debt”.
France is president of the Paris Club of creditor nations, an informal group of industrialised countries.
Lagarde said Friday she is also asking non-members Venezuela and Taiwan, who are owed significant amounts by Haiti, to help in debt reduction.
France was owed €58 million (US$84 million), of which €4 million was already cancelled. France was owed €58 million (US$84 million), of which €4 million was already cancelled. The rest was due to be cancelled in stages over several years until 2014. This will now be sped up
Christine Lagarde says she “made contact with all Paris Club members so we accelerate the cancellation of the government of Haiti’s debt”.
France is president of the Paris Club of creditor nations, an informal group of industrialised countries.
Lagarde said Friday she is also asking non-members Venezuela and Taiwan, who are owed significant amounts by Haiti, to help in debt reduction.
France was owed €58 million (US$84 million), of which €4 million was already cancelled. France was owed €58 million (US$84 million), of which €4 million was already cancelled. The rest was due to be cancelled in stages over several years until 2014. This will now be sped up
COUNTRIES RELAX IMMIGRATION RESTRICTIONS ON HAITIANS
Caribbean
Two Caribbean countries Friday relaxed the visa requirements for Haitians entering their countries as the region continued to react to the powerful earthquake that hit the French speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country on Tuesday.
National Security and Immigration, Charles Savarin announced Thursday that government had taken a decision to extend the stay of all Haitians already on island by an additional six months until the situation in Haiti stabilizes.
Read more HERE
United States
The Obama administration extended a special immigration status on Friday to Haitians living illegally in the United States that protects them from deportation for 18 months and allows them to work here.
Read more about it HERE
The government is fast-tracking an estimated 5,000 immigration applications to reunite families in Canada with relatives "directly and significantly affected by the earthquake in Haiti."
The move is part of a special program in the wake of the disaster that's gripping the Caribbean nation.
It was announced on Saturday at a news conference in Ottawa attended by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and numerous government ministers, including Immigration Minister Jason Kenney.
The government also announced that deportation orders against about 1,500 failed Haitian refugee claimants remain suspended. And extensions, without fees, will be granted to several hundred Haitians in Canada on temporary student, visitor, work or tourists visas.
Read more: HERE
It's enough having to worry about your loved ones at this time. So it is a relief that at least immigration problems can be put on hold for a moment at least.
