US: Biden administration to reopen detention camp at Guantanamo Bay for asylum seekers

United States President Joe Biden administration has decided to reopen the migrant detention camp at Guantanamo Bay as the country tackles a surge of migrants and asylum seekers on the Southern border. As per The Guardian, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) bureau has invited tenders for the private contractors to operate the Migrant Operations Center on the US naval base which lies near to the prison compounds housing the remaining 39 detainees held in the “war on terror.”

Reportedly, Ice is looking for a private contractor to run the centre and even provide unarmed custody and security officers. NBC News reports the advertisement has stated that “at least 10 per cent of the augmented personnel must be fluent in Spanish and Haitian Creole.” It was placed on the Sam.gov government contracting website on September 17 with a deadline for offers of October 1. 

The migrant camp was initially constructed in 1991 with an aim to hold Cuban asylum seekers. However, ultimately, it was used to detain at least 34,000 Haitians and around a similar number of Cubans until it was gradually ended by the former US President Barack Obama's administration. Since 2017, the facility has not been used to hold migrants. Now, the advertised “contract opportunity” has reportedly stated that the facility has a capacity of 120 people and will have an estimated daily population of 20 people. 

It added, “however the service provider shall be responsible to maintain on-site the necessary equipment to erect temporary housing facilities for populations that exceed 120 and up to 400 migrants in a surge event.” The report has stated that the contractor would be responsible for assembling tents and cots at short notice when there is a hike of migrant detainees.

The advertisement has asked the service provider to maintain a roster of at least 50 persons who meet the minimum requirements of the “unarmed custody officer job classification” and have a viable contingency plan to deploy the same individuals within 24 hours of notification. 

Around 14,000 migrants have crossed Rio Grande

The planned reopening of the migrant detention camp at Guantanamo Bay comes when an estimated 14,000 migrants have crossed the Rio Grande in just the last two weeks. Most of them are Haitians including thousands of women and children attempting to flee the recent chaos caused by the massive earthquake in addition to the political turmoil created by Haitian President Jovenel Moise’s assassination. Meanwhile, the Biden administration has ramped up its deportation flights to Haiti.

Image: AP