Last year, the Hernández Pacheco family started noticing Haitian migrants settling into an apartment across from their medical clinic on the outskirts of Mexico City. The clinic’s mint-green office is situated on a small street in Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl, surrounded by tamal vendors and street merchants.
Dr. Sarahí Hernández Pacheco, who speaks French, took an interest in a 15-year-old Haitian boy who often looked sad and bored. She approached him one day with an offer: “I have two nephews; would you like to play with them?” This chance encounter marked the beginning of a close relationship between the clinic and the Haitian community.
Almost a year later, Haitian migrants make up a significant portion of the medical practice at the Bassuary clinic. The Hernández Pacheco family, comprising Dr. Sarahí and her mother and two siblings who are also doctors, have welcomed these patients with open arms. They offer free consultations, provide food assistance, and even help some find work – including at the clinic.
Dr. Sarahí’s goal is to create a safe haven for Haitian migrants, whether they intend to stay in Mexico or continue their journey north to the U.S.-Mexico border. “I can’t even imagine what it must be like to be in another country where there are so many limitations,” she said. “My clinic’s doors are open to help them in everything we can. Not just as a doctor, but as a friend.”
One such patient is Bellantta Lubin, 23, who initially visited the clinic for stomach pain before returning seeking work. Lubin struggled due to her limited proficiency in Spanish, but the doctors and their sister, Dr. Hosanna Berenice Hernández Pacheco, offered her a job cleaning at the clinic three times a week.
Over the past eight months, Lubin and the doctors have developed a unique bond through a mix of languages: Spanish, French, and Creole. “We became very close,” said Berenice. “She started teaching me words in Creole, and she says we’re friends.” The relationship has brought comfort to both parties.
Mexico has seen periods of mass migration due to political unrest and natural disasters over the past decade. Many Haitians initially emigrated to South America before moving north after economies struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent reports indicate that surging gang violence in Haiti has displaced nearly 580,000 people internally since March, according to the U.N. migration agency.
A recent clearing of migrant camps in Mexico City has alarmed Haitians living in the capital, as well as stepped up efforts to intercept migrants in Mexico before they can reach the U.S. border. The fears were compounded by new restrictions on seeking asylum at the border announced by the Biden administration last month.
Many migrants like Gabriel Toussaint have been stuck in Mexico for months, waiting for asylum appointments through U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s online app, CBP One. Toussaint, a 50-year-old former school principal from Haiti, crossed Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala to reach Mexico City, where he has been struggling to find work and make ends meet.
Meanwhile, the Hernández Pacheco sisters – Sarahí, Berenice, and Marco Antonio – are dedicated doctors who have been providing free medical care to low-income residents of their community. Their private clinic is not funded or subsidized by any institution and relies on donations from non-governmental organizations to keep costs low for patients.
The sisters have noticed a number of health issues common to their Haitian patients, including lower back problems due to sleeping on the floor, difficulty adapting to the cold climate, and stomach issues resulting from dietary differences. One of their patients, Gabriel Toussaint, has been seeking treatment at the clinic for high blood pressure and eye pain.
Overall, the situation is difficult for many Haitians like Toussaint, who are trying to find a better life in Mexico but face numerous challenges, including lack of work and poor pay. The sisters’ clinic provides a vital lifeline to these patients, offering them much-needed medical care and support in their time of need.
Mexico’s humanitarian visa, which allows Haitians to work legally in Mexico, has seen a significant decrease in requests since December 2023. In contrast, Haiti was the nationality that requested these visas the most in the past year, with over 37,000 applications submitted. The National Immigration Institute has restricted the distribution of this document, leading many Haitians to work in the informal economy, which is risky and unstable.
Toussaint, a Haitian man, had been waiting for months for a humanitarian visa appointment and finally secured one after eight months. He was overjoyed when he and his roommates were able to leave Mexico on June 20th. Dr. Sarahí Hernández Pacheco, who has helped many Haitians like Toussaint, celebrated their departure with a farewell meal.
However, not all Haitians are as fortunate. Lubin, another Haitian woman, continues to wait for a humanitarian visa appointment after fleeing violence in Port- Au-Prince last year. She works at the clinic where she lives and has made deep friendships with other Haitian women like Phenia.
Dr. Hernández Pacheco believes that the international community should do more to help Haitians. She asks the government to speed up their procedures so that Haitians can feel safe. For now, many Haitians are forced to work in the informal economy, which is risky and unstable, while they wait for a humanitarian visa appointment.
Source: AP News
