The difference being that Dominican workers are completely legal and only a small percentage of Haitians are. The Dominican worker has the surety that s/he can take you to court if you do not fulfill your side of the labor contract/bargin with him. The Haitian can not.
When the Bahia hotel in Portillo was being built, they used ONLY Haitian workers. They "housed" them on the property, with no running water and did not pay them until the end of the month, at which point many of them would leave. The local Dominican workers staged a picket line at the start of the work - holding forth that THEY wanted the work but would not work for 600 pesos a day. They wanted $1000.
I do not know about other towns in the DR, but Las Terrenas was built almost completely with Haitian labor. When the bulk of the construction was finished - around 2014- (just before I was leaving) there were many young men who were there sort of left stranded, without work. There is a large Haitian community there which dates back 30 years perhaps. But the presence of a large group of unemployed young men can only lead to a certain level of danger.
I did organize an effort with that community - among those who wanted to return to Haiti - who had learned new skills in the DR. I brought their situation to the attention of the UN Office of Migration in the Capital since most of those young men (and some of the women and famiies) had no contacts at all with anyone in the Capital. The OIM went up and met with them but they only had a small grant to "relocate" the Haitians - and then only for the market women.
I had proposed that if sponsorship could be arranged, perhaps through Dominican businesses, to equip these young men with small kits of the tools of their trade - as plumbers, electricians, tilers - the like... they would cheerfully and easily return to Haiti They had all agreed that this would be an ideal plan - that they would all be happier in their own country and that if they had their own tools, they would be more than able to earn good livings in their own country. They also expressed great gratitude = not only only for the opportunities that they had had for working in the DR but also for how much they had learned there.
It is almost impossible for anyone who is paid such a small amount to buy a tool kit. There are certainly some. I had a Haitian handyman in the Capital - who had all his working papers - and all his tools - and could do EVERYTHING... Would that I could find such talent here in the FL!
It is much more dangerous in Haiti now than it was then. Nevertheless, I suspect that many Haitians would still be happier in their native country.
I would urge any on DR! to engage in conversation with any Haitians they know to discern if they would like to return - or if they would like to return - and perhaps take up a project with the IOM to see to their safe return.
I am not suggesting that anyone simply go out and BUY a tool kit for anyone..
But... There are many Haitians who would return -- and many Haitians who OUGHT to return. Many of the Haitians in the DR are so overqualified - in that they have such a high level of education - etc... I know that it is dangerous where they come from - and that they are seeking economic opportunity, safety and refuge there - (Just as many migrants on the border of the US are ) but it used to break my heart to see such talented Haitians in the DR and hear from my friends in Haiti that it was impossible to find a plumber.
http://www.ipsnews.net/2009/03/haiti-dominican-republic-solace-in-solidarity/
