You think this only happens here?

AZB

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
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Dominican illegal immigrants are often swindled out of money for a fake trip to puerto rico when in reality, they take a 2 day ride in the ocean and then dropped off in the coast of domincian republic at night. The poor fools think they have reached puerto rico, only to discover in disappointment that have reached no where near as they were promised. Then you have illegal immigrant smugglers who take you to PR in boats only to be handed over to coast guards. there has been rumors that coastguards (US) are in the game with the smugglers.
People who are returned back often find themselves in huge debts on loans they had taken out to pay for the trip in yolas.
Now this types of scams are not only limited to DR. Look what happens to people in India who buy visas to work in Dubai.

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planner

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Sep 23, 2002
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I think this happens where ever there are desperate people and those willing to con them! It is sad.
 

suarezn

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Feb 3, 2002
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I've seen so many of these cases is not even funny. People have lost their land, houses, etc. As a matter of fact I have a acquaintance of mine who has made a ton of money lending money to people who want to go to Puerto Rico. He charges them a high interest and asks for some kind of guarantee. If they make it, he makes out like a bandit on interest alone; If they don't then they lose whatever they put up as a guarantee. It is big business...

Fortunately in my hometown most of the people who try do make it. There's a guy who's kind of like the godfather of these trips and 90%+ of his trips are successful. He's either got some good connections or is very, very lucky. He's single handedly changed the landscape of my hometown and surrounding areas as probably 90% of people who made it to The US illegally made it with his help.

In my family alone there's been four people who have made it over the last six months. I lent my cousin 1000 USD and he used it to send his oldest son on one of these trips. They were (are) extremely poor. The kid made it and once he got work, he paid for his brothers and even his dad (my cousin) to take the trip. They all made it and are now all working in Puerto Rico.
 

Criss Colon

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Jan 2, 2002
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yahoomail.com
You Must Be SOOOOOO Proud Of Them!!!!!!!!!

And to think you made it all, possible! What a great person you are!..


"NOT"!

What you did is PROBABLY illegal,and DEFINETLY Immoral!
Cris Colon
 

El_Uruguayo

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Dec 7, 2006
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How is helping provide someone with the means to a better life immoral? Who is it hurting? I can't disagree with the illegal argument, the law is the law, but morality? caman!
 

M.A.R.

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Feb 18, 2006
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you are right, but.....

And to think you made it all, possible! What a great person you are!..


"NOT"!

What you did is PROBABLY illegal,and DEFINETLY Immoral! Cris Colon

El que este libre de pecado que tire la primera piedra.
translate it if you like Cris.
 

suarezn

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Feb 3, 2002
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And to think you made it all, possible! What a great person you are!..


"NOT"!

What you did is PROBABLY illegal,and DEFINETLY Immoral!
Cris Colon

Definitely not illegal as I all I did was lend some money to my cousin. Is that illegal? What he used it for is his problem.

Immoral? Now I've seen it all. I'm being judged by someone who's claim to fame is that he sleeps with tons of young (How young?) prostitutes in The DR...who even claims to rent an apartment just for this purpose (Does your wife know this? Do your kids that you love so much know who their father really is?)...If you live in a glass house leave those rocks alone....
 

dms3611

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Jan 14, 2002
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Love the biblical note there M.A.R.....but the point is it is illegal and MOST of the folks that try that crossing do not make it, and are not successful. The ones that do make it are not pulling in big money. Its a scam because the only ones making any real $ are making it because they get involved with illegal activities. Spin it any way you want, but the great % that try this program get burned...big time. As said earlier, it does not just happen in the DR and this feeding off the misery made by false hopes and promises is immoral and criminal.

P.S. ...........and when folks lend or give money to someone with which they know will use it for an illegal activity...then they are also an accomplice. This is not a judgement...its just what it is by definition in law.
 

miguel

I didn't last long...
Jul 2, 2003
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Y ademas.....

I've seen so many of these cases is not even funny. People have lost their land, houses, etc. As a matter of fact I have a acquaintance of mine who has made a ton of money lending money to people who want to go to Puerto Rico. He charges them a high interest and asks for some kind of guarantee. If they make it, he makes out like a bandit on interest alone; If they don't then they lose whatever they put up as a guarantee. It is big business...
And what about those who "borrow" money from their family and friends ONLY to NEVER pay them back?..

I used to know a guy in the DR who "borrowed" about 50,000 pesos from his friends a few years ago and they are still waiting for the money!....AND for him to show his face!!.
 

suarezn

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Feb 3, 2002
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Love the biblical note there M.A.R.....but the point is it is illegal and MOST of the folks that try that crossing do not make it, and are not successful. The ones that do make it are not pulling in big money. Its a scam because the only ones making any real $ are making it because they get involved with illegal activities. Spin it any way you want, but the great % that try this program get burned...big time. As said earlier, it does not just happen in the DR and this feeding off the misery made by false hopes and promises is immoral and criminal.

Are you speaking from experience or just hearsay like most Foreigners (and even some Dominicans) here do? How many people do you personally know who have tried it and didn't make it...

People do get burned, but reality is that MOST of the people who try actually DO make it. If not just come to my hometown and ask around how many families have at least one relative who made it to The US this way...
 

dms3611

Bronze
Jan 14, 2002
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I always speak from experience.............

.........I believe there is no reason to add anything in here if you don't have direct information.
 

sbensimo

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Dec 19, 2007
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I don't understand why everybody is getting upset. This website is to supposed to be informative....it's not meant to judge anyone. So please....no judging Dominicans or Foreigners....it's not fair to anyone. We're supposed to be learning things about the Dominican Republic....not arguing.

Thank you very much for that video clip and this thread....it was very informative. I had no idea that this went on :)
 

Chris

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Oct 21, 2002
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www.caribbetech.com
I think there is a lot to be learnt here if we are willing to. The fact here is that the Dominicans on the board are telling us that some people succeed (different values in this word ..) taking the yola route. And they get somewhere else and they do earn more money.

My personal feeling is that we perhaps just see the press and headlines from those that do not succeed. To my knowledge, we've never heard first hand from people that actually made it - on this board. And of course, they don't advertise!

IMO it is unthinkable to live somewhere and be considered illegal. I believe more the 'undocumented' than the 'illegal', but again, these are different values. If one is able to earn a living in the new place, whereas before you were not, then perhaps the problems with being undocumented and illegality are probably the lesser evils.
 

miguel

I didn't last long...
Jul 2, 2003
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Pensandolo bien....

People do get burned, but reality is that MOST of the people who try actually DO make it. If not just come to my hometown and ask around how many families have at least one relative who made it to The US this way...
I think you are ABSOLUTELY corrrect.

Although I don't have any family member who "got" into a yola, I do know of a few people who have.

I actually know of people who if they didn't make it on their first try, they keep on tying until they make it!.

In my opinion (NOTE: MY), if ONE "yola" does NOT makes it, 10 DO!. BUUUUT we only hear about the ONE that did NOT!.
 

quaqualita

Member
Feb 4, 2002
312
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......and MOST of the folks that try that crossing do not make it, and are not successful...

I daubt that this statement is correct.
We only hear once in a while in the media about it when a crossing has failed. Since there are no stats available about those who are actually sucessfull, nobody can know the real numbers, you have to rely on what locals are 'saying and hearing'.
From what I hear, there are many Yola trips weekly (or even daily?) 'departing' from several beaches here at the north coast alone, specially in seasons when the ocean is calm.

I agree with suarezn and Miguel, I believe MANY try that trip, probably much more than most think, and only a small percentage fails or is getting caught. That's why it's such a good business for the Yola owners.
(not saying that this is a good thing).
 

suarezn

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Feb 3, 2002
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Well I'm speaking from first hand knowledge, not just what I read in the news and I can tell you that in my hometown alone there is at least a 90%+ rate of trips that do make it. Almost every home has at least one relative who made it to The US this way. I myself wouldn't have tried it this way, but to each their own.

My brother who owns a business keeps losing employees, because they work for some time (enough to save for a trip) and then they leave. They have all made it and most of them live in Philadelphia now...

There are areas in The DR (i.e. Sabana Iglesias) where a huge percentage of the population lives in The US. How did they get there? Definitely not through a legal visa.

Sbensimo: Nobody is getting upset (Ok...I'll admit I'm getting a little irritated with a couple of these threads going on right now where you have people commenting and acting like they are experts on stuff they have never lived through or have any first hand knowledge of)...but is all in good fun.

I'm one of the oldest members of this board and notice my block is still green (I'm surprised Crisco's is also green). I try to provide real info whenever possible and even though I never personally met any of you I feel like I "know" many of you.
 

johne

Silver
Jun 28, 2003
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is all in good fun. not

Sbensimo: Nobody is getting upset (Ok...I'll admit I'm getting a little irritated with a couple of these threads going on right now where you have people commenting and acting like they are experts on stuff they have never lived through or have any first hand knowledge of)...but is all in good fun.

I'm one of the oldest members of this board and notice my block is still green (I'm surprised Crisco's is also green). I try to provide real info whenever possible and even though I never personally met any of you I feel like I "know" many of you.

When I disagree or don't respect an opinion its not "in good fun" for me.
Then again I'm type A.
Bah humbug
Johnwhosigenerallyinabadmood.
 

dms3611

Bronze
Jan 14, 2002
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"Well I'm speaking from first hand knowledge, not just what I read in the news and I can tell you that in my hometown alone there is at least a 90%+ rate of trips that do make it."

Son of a gun......a 90%+ success rate! My gosh, such statistics! Your town must be burgeoning then with "standing lines only" to get in those yolas. Hard to imagine how they keep that secret so well........ooopsss...hope they don't get mad at you for letting their "cash cow" secret out! With all that success it must be like a daily floating armada through the Mona Channel with all that success to be obtained!