Haitians plan to march on the White House

Haitians fighting for more favourable immigration treatment from authorities in the United States are taking their campaign direct to Washington.

A demonstration is planned for Wednesday in front of the White House.

One of the organizers, the Reverend Jonas Georges, told BBC Caribbean that they hope that President Obama can be persuaded to grant "temporary protected status" to an estimated 30,000 undocumented Haitians.

This will allow them to live and work in the US temporarily while their homeland recovers from last year's devastating storms.

Up to 20 busloads are leaving Florida, where there is a heavy concentration of Haitians, on the way to the White House.

Activists say they have also lined up meetings with officials of the White House and the Department of Homeland Security.