DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

A marked spike in residency permits issued by the Migration Agency (DGM) in May 2024 has sparked questions after data revealed that the agency processed more documents in that single month than it typically does in four years, Listin Diario reports. The newspaper did not report the DGM explanation for the unusual increase in residency permits.

In May 2024, the Dominican Republic’s Migration Agency (DGM) was led by Venancio Alcántara. Alcántara remained at the helm of the agency until late September 2024, when today director, Vice Admiral Luis Rafael Lee Ballester, was officially sworn in as his successor.

According to DGM statistics, the Dominican Republic historically maintains a steady flow of 25,000 to 33,000 residency permits annually. However, 2024 shattered these norms with a total of 148,301 permits, a nearly 400% increase over previous...