In January 2023, hundreds of Haitians gathered daily at the country's sole immigration office in Port-au-Prince to obtain passports. The Associated Press described people pressed against a bright blue gate, straining to hear each name called by an official. Applicants, renewals, collections and status inquiries converged at the same entrance.
The rush followed a new US programme offering legal entry to as many as 30,000 people a month from Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela. Selection required an eligible sponsor, background checks and a passport. For people seeking a lawful alternative to dangerous boat journeys, their place outside the gate represented more than administrative order. It was the first narrow passage toward the possibility of leaving safely.