Just days after the devastating earthquake in Haiti on 12 January 2010, the Dutch government announced its intention to expedite pending adoptions from the country.
On 21 January the children were flown out of Haiti.
ACT has requested the Dutch Ministry of Justice the letter on the basis of which this expedition was undertaken.
On Sunday 17th January, the Dutch government, via the Dutch Ambassador of the Domincan Republic and the Dutch Consul in Haiti, handed a letter to the Prime Minister of Haiti asking him for permission to evacuate children by plane, arranged and paid by the government, the next day. These children were considered pipeline cases, and the Dutch government promised to complete the adoption procedure in the Netherlands.
The Dutch government approached the matter strategically and diplomaticly. It reminded the Prime Minister that rescue teams and a first emergency capital of 2 million euros were underway. Then it is asked for the children. The letter claimed that “By this, you offer these children the opportunity to handle their trauma from the past few days; you give them a new life in safety; they will remember your graciousness and one day they will return to their homeland in order to contribute to the development of Haiti.”
The only thing Prime Minister Jean Max Bellerive had to do was to put his signature on the letter
But, is it true that the children who will be fully adopted under Dutch law, will one day return to Haiti and contribute to the development of Haiti?
The original letter in French and Dutch can be read HERE
Informal translation
His Excellency
Prime Minister Jean Max Bellerive,
Port-au-Prince.I would like to join the letter of condolence of the Queen of the Netherlands, Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of Orange, in which the deepest sympathy of the Dutch Government and the Dutch people is expressed in relation to the terrible disaster that has struck your country and your people.
Herewith I enclose my personal condolences and I also wish to express the commitment of my Government to assist in the salvation of your people and the reconstruction of your country, to alleviate the suffering of the people of Haiti in the form of rescue teams and a first emergency capital of 2 million euros.
We greatly regret the demise of the Dutch citizens who were located in Villa Thérèse at the time of the earthquake. These Dutch families just had been reunited with their Haitian adoptive children and all are perished in the hotel.
Since Friday, January 15, the Dutch humanitarian aid in Haiti is fully in movement. Given the also dramatic situation for children in nurseries, the Dutch Government put up an evacuation program for children whose procedure for adoption by Dutch families is running. It concerns a total of 102 children in three different nurseries. The files of 60 children have been treated by the Court of First Instance of Port-au-Prince. 52 Files are with the IBESR [Haitian child protection] or the Public Prosecutor for the necessary follow-up formalities. The treatment of these 52 files on Haiti’s side are therefore still ongoing.
In my own name and on behalf of my Government I ask you to grant us permission to transfer 102 children on Monday, 18 January 2010, to the Netherlands and reunite them with their adoptive families. By this, you offer these children the opportunity to handle their trauma from the past few days; you give them a new life in safety; they will remember your graciousness and one day they will return to their homeland in order to contribute to the development of Haiti.
I can guarantee you that the Dutch Government, on arrival of the children in the Netherlands, will start the adoption process in close collaboration with the Haitian Government. I also offer the guarantee of providing follow-up monitoring reports after six (6) months and after one (1) year.
I ask you on behalf of my Government and on behalf of 102 adoptees to inform me as soon as possible about your decision. We need your written approval, or your approval by signing this letter.
Yours faithfully,
[siganture + mark]
Rita Dulci Rahman,
Ambassador of the Majesty, Saint Domingue and Port-au-Prince.
[Rob Padberg] Consul-general of the Netherlands
[unreadable] Lele, Petion- Ville For approval
[signature] [signature Prime Minister Haiti)
