Legal Analysis of TC 168/13 by Dominican Constitutional Expert Nassef Perdomo

SomebodySmart said:

The big hole in the story is: Everybody knows that thousands of Haitians are in the Dominican Republic illegally, working in the sugar fields and living in the bateyes ...and where is the Dirección General de Migración? Why didn't they round them up and deport them years ago?

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Migration invests more than 139 million pesos in deportations during one year.



From August 2016 to August 2017 more than 45,000 foreigners who were in an irregular migration situation have been deported.



The General Directorate of Migration (DGM) reported that the Dominican State has invested 139, 786,292.30 million pesos in the deportations carried out during the period from August 2016 to August 2017.



According to a report from the institution of that total, more than 132, 381, 241.40 million pesos were invested in repatriations by land, representing an average of 3 thousand 721.98 for each person returned to their country of origin.



The report of the DGM also establishes that the deportations through the area represented an expense for the institution of 7, 405, 050.92 pesos, the average per person being 20 thousand 232 pesos and 38 cents.



The institution also indicates that 44,971 foreigners who were in an irregular situation in the Dominican Republic were repatriated by land, and 366 were deported by road.



The deportees come from 37 countries, the majority being from Armenia, Afghanistan, Cuba, Colombia, China, India, the United States, Haiti, Venezuela and Russia.



In accordance with the provisions of article 121 of the General Migration Law, the director of the institution is authorized to order the deportation of a foreigner when he has entered clandestinely or illegally into Dominican territory, enters with false documents, remains in the country expired the term of authorized stay as well as for other irregularities indicated in the aforementioned law.

https://www.migracion.gob.do/Public/detail?detailid=54&menuid=44

Migracion only has so many buses and agents to round up the Haitians and when the Haitians are deported to Haiti, they frequently return. They estimate of illegal Haitians is much more than "thousands".

Migracion frequently posts their deportation numbers at their site:

https://www.migracion.gob.do/

Because it costs money to set up ongoing immigration operations. Those operations with respect to Haitian repatriations are for the most part temporary in nature as there is yet no means to keep the majority of them from just coming back into the DR.

If the DR offered social programs or was in someway obligated to financially support the illegal migrants, I'm sure you would see a much more robust effort in the bateys and along the border. For the time being, if these migrants hack down some sugar cane between trips home, no harm no foul as the work needs to be done and getting enough Dominicans to do it might prove to be a challenge.

Those that choose to hustle the streets of the population centers are easy targets when the govt wishes to demonstrate it's immigration resolve. Those living in shacks in cane fields sleep at bit more soundly because they are out of sight and out of mind; Not being obvious to the majority of the population and the tourists.

Until the holes in the border are closed, Haitian deportations are for show and an ongoing demonstration of authority for both the locals and the Haitians than a real attempt to permanently lower the numbers.