Title: Defenders Criticize Dominican Immigration Policy as Racially Driven
Date: July 14, 2023
Santo Domingo – Defenders of the Haitian community in the Dominican Republic have criticized the immigration policy of the Dominican Government, claiming it is rooted in racial hatred. In a joint statement signed by various organizations, including the HaitiansRD Collective and the Human Code Foundation, they alleged that the immigration policy systematically violates the Constitution and Dominican laws.
The statement highlighted several violations, including the mass arrests of individuals, which they claim disproportionately affect Dominicans of Haitian descent and black Dominicans due to racial profiling. They also condemned the detention and deportation of pregnant women, children, and the elderly, as well as raids on foreigners’ homes without proper warrants.
The organizations further accused immigration authorities of extortion, document destruction, and theft of belongings belonging to Haitian immigrants. Despite officially reporting these incidents to the Attorney General’s Office in December 2022, the situation has not improved.
The defenders’ statement comes in response to a document issued by the Dominican government in late June, where they deemed the “massive” flow of Haitian citizens into the country as “unsustainable.” This decision was challenged by William O’Neill, an independent expert on human rights for Haiti, who urged a halt to repatriations due to the dire crisis in the neighboring country.
Last year, the Dominican Republic deported approximately 120,900 irregular foreigners, mostly of Haitian origin. This number is expected to increase significantly this year, with over 23,000 monthly returns recorded in June 2023 alone.
The Dominican government has repeatedly emphasized the economic burden posed by the undocumented Haitian community and highlighted the rising percentage of Haitian births in hospitals. However, the defenders of these immigrants argued that the community largely sustains itself through their own work and faces frequent labor exploitation and denial of their rights.
In light of their concerns, the organizations called for the implementation of a regularization plan similar to the one provided to the Venezuelan community, but without racial discrimination.
The issue of the Dominican Republic’s immigration policy remains a contentious topic, with advocates and critics continuing to voice their perspectives.