The fourteen-year-old Dominican twins that I help have been taken away by Migracion for the second time. Obviously, at that age they don't have cedulas. They were in Sabaneta, innocently shopping in a Chinese shop when the Imigracion squad arrived and hauled them off to their truck. The kids' mother arrived a few moments later, explained that they were her children and showed the officers her Dominican cedula. It was to no avail. The Imigracion guys said that was no proof about the kid's legal status and they were taken to the Migracion centre in Santiago.
The following day, the mother's boyfriend, a policeman, went to Santiago with photos of the kids' birth certificates on his phone, but again, they said that was not proof. (I have the original birth certificates for safe keeping but I wasn't available) In fact, the boyfriend was reported to his senior officer when he remonstrated. Eventually, the kids were released after payment of a substantial "propina", but it was a bad and unfair experience for them.
This is not the first time the kids have been detained by Migracion - the first time being in Las Terrenas where they were visiting family. After this first occasion, I tried to have credit card sized copies of the birth certificates laminated, but they were too small to read. So I then gave them laminated full-size copies but they are too big to carry in a pocket. I am now giving them full size paper copies which they can carry folded in their phone covers along with copies of their Dominican passports with photos.
It is terrible that children should be treated in this way just because of their appearance. Some people say that the Dominican authorities read DR1 and in this case I hope it's true, and they can see this and know what is really happening with their so-called just and human rights respecting treatment of people of colour.
The following day, the mother's boyfriend, a policeman, went to Santiago with photos of the kids' birth certificates on his phone, but again, they said that was not proof. (I have the original birth certificates for safe keeping but I wasn't available) In fact, the boyfriend was reported to his senior officer when he remonstrated. Eventually, the kids were released after payment of a substantial "propina", but it was a bad and unfair experience for them.
This is not the first time the kids have been detained by Migracion - the first time being in Las Terrenas where they were visiting family. After this first occasion, I tried to have credit card sized copies of the birth certificates laminated, but they were too small to read. So I then gave them laminated full-size copies but they are too big to carry in a pocket. I am now giving them full size paper copies which they can carry folded in their phone covers along with copies of their Dominican passports with photos.
It is terrible that children should be treated in this way just because of their appearance. Some people say that the Dominican authorities read DR1 and in this case I hope it's true, and they can see this and know what is really happening with their so-called just and human rights respecting treatment of people of colour.
