Haitian Arrested En Route to U.S. : Diplomacy: Man had been granted political asylum. Event embarrasses Clinton Administration.

In an embarrassment for the Clinton Administration, a Haitian already granted political asylum in the United States was arrested at the Port-au-Prince airport as he tried to leave the country, the State Department acknowledged Friday.

Department spokesman Richard Boucher said the man, whose name was withheld, was arrested on charges of desertion from the Haitian military. Boucher said the arrest occurred even though the individual was escorted by American diplomats.

The man had been approved for asylum under a program intended to eliminate the incentive for Haitians to try to reach the United States in boats. Under the Clinton Administration policy, would-be refugees have been told to apply at American offices in Haiti, instead of trying to escape the island by sea.

“We are shocked at the arrest, which we hope and expect will be speedily rectified,” Boucher said. “We’ve protested in the strongest possible terms at high levels in Haiti. We’re following this matter very closely, we’ll continue to do so until this man is released, and we’ll hold Haitian authorities responsible for his treatment.”

The Administration program, a modified version of a plan instituted by former President George Bush, is intended to ensure that potential refugees will be given an opportunity to make their case for asylum at a time when the U.S. Coast Guard has been ordered to turn back boats of fleeing Haitians.

Although the arrest cast doubt on Washington’s ability to protect refugees playing by the rules, Boucher said the program had been working well. “We see this as an important test of the willingness of the de facto (Haitian) regime and the Haitian military high command to work for a tangible improvement in the human rights situation in Haiti, and to cooperate with the international effort to end Haiti’s crisis,” he said.

“The overwhelming majority of the Haitians that we have approved for refugee status in this in-country program have been allowed to leave Haiti for the United States without any incident,” he added. “We continue to believe strongly that the in-country program provides a much safer alternative for Haitians who are wishing to seek refugee status than risking their lives in a long and dangerous sea voyage.”

Under American and international law, an individual is eligible for refugee status if he can demonstrate he has a well-founded fear of persecution at home; people trying to escape Haiti’s grinding poverty are not eligible, unless they also face political persecution.