Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 26 July 2017

Ex-Gitmo detainee deported from Morocco, returns to Uruguay

Uruguay marked at least his to join his family in Turkey or
third attempt to find a new in another country. But offi-
home in another country. cials said Turkey and Qatar
In July 2016, the ex-Guan- rejected taking in Dhiab.
tanamo inmate set off Dhiab’s public complaints
alarms in nearby countries about life in Uruguay irri-
and in Washington when tated his hosts and he pro-
he vanished for several tested outside the U.S. Em-
weeks, before turning up in bassy in Montevideo.
Venezuela, which promptly The hunger strikes and
sent him back to Uruguay. forced feedings at Guan-
In December, he boarded tanamo left him with health
a flight for South Africa, problems, and he walks us-
which apparently denied ing crutches When he ar-
him entry. The Syrian’s od- rived to Montevideo on
yssey began when he was Saturday, he showed his le-
detained as an enemy gal Uruguayan documents.
combatant with suspected But it was not clear how he
ties to militants and was ended up in Morocco.
held for 12 years at Guan- Layera said there is no re-
tanamo, although he was cord with migration of
never charged. He drew when or how Dhiab left
international attention by Uruguay, leading authori-
In this May 5, 2015 photo, Abu Wa’el Dhiab, from Syria, sits in front of the U.S. embassy while visiting staging a lengthy hunger ties to believe he slipped
former fellow detainees demanding financial assistance from the U.S., in Montevideo, Uruguay.
Authorities reported on Monday, July 24, 2017, that Dhiab has returned to Uruguay after being strike and frequently clash- across the border with Bra-
deported from Morocco. ing with guards. zil by car, as he has done
(AP Photo/Matilde Campodonico) Officials said Dhiab could before. Brazilian authori-
not be returned to Syria ties have not confirmed if
By L. HABERKORN Morocco - even though of- “Dhiab declared that he due to the civil war there Dhiab flew from that coun-
Associated Press ficials here were unaware wanted to travel to Tur- and he became one of try to Morocco, and Layera
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay that he had ever left. key, but when he made a six ex-Guantanamo prison- said Dhiab has declined to
(AP) — The strange tale of Syrian native Abu Wa’el stop in Morocco and tried ers resettled in Uruguay in answer Interpol’s questions
a former Guantanamo Bay Dhiab arrived in Uruguay’s to leave the airport, they 2014, at the invitation of about his trip.
inmate who resettled in capital on Saturday and caught him with a fake then-President Jose Mujica. And his journey might not
Uruguay, staged a hunger was questioned by Interpol Tunisian passport,” Layera He repeatedly expressed be over. “Dhiab said that
strike to leave and sparked after being deported for said. “Dhiab said the pass- unhappiness about be- he’ll continue to try to
a regional alarm when he carrying a false passport, port was given to him by his ing in the South American leave,” Uruguay’s police
went missing, took another Uruguayan police chief family, but he declined to country and staged hun- chief said. “And that his
unexpected twist when he Mario Layera told The As- say where or how they got ger strikes to be allowed to reason to live is to reunite
was deported back from sociated Press on Monday. it to him.” Dhiab’s return to leave. He said he wanted with his family.” q

Haitian migrants get residency extension from Dominican govt

By EZEQUIEL LOPEZ permits, including those on Tuesday, more than praised the government’s tion wants to move to the
Associated Press who enrolled in a govern- 220,000 Haitian migrants decision but also accused Dominican Republic. They
SANTO DOMINGO, Domini- ment residency plan but could have faced depor- authorities of deporting would be better off here.
can Republic (AP) — The only received provisional tation. They have not been more than 100 Haitian mi- The question is: Should we
Dominican Republic on permits. The residency plan able to finalize residency grants in recent weeks allow it?” tweeted Vinicio
Tuesday granted a one- was created after a court requirements for several even though they had pro- Castillo, a former legisla-
year extension to some ruled in 2013 that children reasons, including lack of a visional permits to stay in tor whose party opposes
230,000 Haitian migrants born in the Dominican Re- work contract, a birth cer- the Dominican Republic. the plan. Haiti and the Do-
trying to renew or obtain public to non-citizens did tificate or a passport. Many Some 7,000 migrants have minican Republic share the
residency permits, an issue not qualify for automatic employers in the Domini- completed all require- island of Hispaniola, and
that has soured relations citizenship because their can Republic do not issue ments under the govern- Castillo has long proposed
between the neighboring migrant parents were “in work contracts, and the ment’s residency plan. building a wall between
countries. The announce- transit.” The vast major- Haitian government also Those who oppose the pro- the two countries.
ment comes as Dominican ity of those affected have has lagged in providing the gram accuse Haitian mi- Government officials said
nationalist groups demand been descendants of Hai- required documents. Wil- grants of abusing it. migrants can start the
the ouster of Haitian mi- tian migrants. Without the liam Charpentier, leader of “I understand perfectly that residency process in late
grants who do not have extension announced a migrant support group, the entire Haitian popula- August.q