U.S. says to send home illegal Haitian immigrants

Although the United States has said it will allow eligible Haitians living in the country when the 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck to stay and work for 18 months, this will not apply to those who leave Haiti to escape the disaster.

"Haitians need to be there to help rebuild their country, this is not an opportunity for migration," Napolitano said at a news conference in the Spanish city of Toledo.

The United States announced on Wednesday that Temporary Protection Status, a status granted to eligible nationals of a certain country because of temporary adverse conditions there, had been awarded to Haitian nationals living illegally in the U.S.