New Migration director pledges to uphold the law to benefit foreigners and Dominicans

[Dolores]

On Monday, 30 September 2024, Minister of the Presidency José Ignacio Paliza swore in Vice Admiral Luis Rafael Lee Ballester as the new director general of Migration, following his appointment by President Luis Abinader by Decree 560-24.

During the ceremony, Paliza urged Lee Ballester to uphold Migration Law 285-04 and its application regulations in Decree 631-11, while respecting human rights and adhering to international agreements.

Outgoing Director Venancio Alcántara expressed gratitude to President Abinader for the opportunity to lead this critical national security institution, which remains under constant scrutiny from international bodies. Under Alcántara’s leadership, staff salaries improved significantly, new interdiction centers were established, and services were streamlined to create a more humane, secure, and orderly migration process...

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[David61]

Cree un proceso para mejorar su proceso de solicitud de residencia.
1.
Contrate empleados que hablen varios idiomas.

2.
Cree un grupo o equipo de agentes del centro de llamadas que pueda proporcionar un estado actualizado y escalar los problemas de solicitud según corresponda para TODAS las solicitudes y certificaciones de residencia. (El proceso actual está extremadamente dañado)

3. Actualice el portal de usuarios con los cambios de estado de manera más oportuna.
(Esperando 5 meses para la aprobación de la residencia, el grupo de DM de IG es excelente en su soporte, pero no es su función laboral)

 

[David61]

Improve your residency application process. NO customer support, portals not updated in timely manner, phone calls not answering, on-site for status 5 hour wait time or no updates, 5 to 8 months waiting time

 

[MariaRubia]

Haven't they had a new director general at immigration every few months now? Everyone is saying it's a complete disaster that department. Every time they change the man at the top he evidently sacks everyone and so you end up with a whole bunch of staff who don't know what they're doing. That's what I've heard from a couple of people anyway.

 

[Manuel01]

I don't know about the procedure for new residents and the way this is handled but my experiences with immigration are 100% Positive.
Renewal process online is as flawless as it can get and if i needed to call somebody, i never waited more than 2-3 minutes for an agent to pick up the phone.

 

[CristoRey]

Gómez Ramírez explained that this proposal was outlined in a communication sent on 18 September 2024 to the head of the UNHCR mission, Pablo Vizcaíno, and signed by the Integral Ethnic Foundation La Fei, the National Migration Table, the Integral Well-being Without Borders Organization, and the National Table for Migrations and Refugees of the Dominican Republic. As reported the proposal would grant permanent residency to undocumented Haitian children based on the foreign birth certificates issued in the Dominican Republic. Hundreds of thousands of children of Haitian descent are born in the Dominican Republic given the practical inexistence of hospitals in Haiti. In the Dominican Republic they receive free services at Dominican public hospitals.

All of these organizations along with their supporters should be permanently removed from the country and banned from re-entry.

The article focuses on removing "undocumented immigrants" not legal immigrants who provided a valid/ accepted form of ID/ Passport/
documentation upon their arrival so there's absolutely no need to have the "overstay vs. legal residence" conversation as this does not appear
to be their main focus at this point in time.

 

[NanSanPedro]

Gómez Ramírez explained that this proposal was outlined in a communication sent on 18 September 2024 to the head of the UNHCR mission, Pablo Vizcaíno, and signed by the Integral Ethnic Foundation La Fei, the National Migration Table, the Integral Well-being Without Borders Organization, and the National Table for Migrations and Refugees of the Dominican Republic. As reported the proposal would grant permanent residency to undocumented Haitian children based on the foreign birth certificates issued in the Dominican Republic. Hundreds of thousands of children of Haitian descent are born in the Dominican Republic given the practical inexistence of hospitals in Haiti. In the Dominican Republic they receive free services at Dominican public hospitals.

All of these organizations along with their supporters should be permanently removed from the country and banned from re-entry.

The article focuses on removing "undocumented immigrants" not legal immigrants who provided a valid/ accepted form of ID/ Passport/
documentation upon their arrival so there's absolutely no need to have the "overstay vs. legal residence" conversation as this does not appear
to be their main focus at this point in time.

But but but, I really want to hear what others think!

 

[MariaRubia]

I don't know about the procedure for new residents and the way this is handled but my experiences with immigration are 100% Positive.
Renewal process online is as flawless as it can get and if i needed to call somebody, i never waited more than 2-3 minutes for an agent to pick up the phone.

Gosh. Mine was the absolute opposite. I submitted my application online, waited 6 weeks and heard nothing. Went to Migracion not once, not twice, but six times. I eventually was told to come in at 9am and someone would see me, only because I said my mother was ill and I needed to go back to my country. Went at 9am, was told the lady who dealt with me was having breakfast, then she had to process another urgent application, finally saw me at 11am. I'm an investor and supposedly we are fast-tracked. Yeah right.

 

[windeguy]

Gómez Ramírez explained that this proposal was outlined in a communication sent on 18 September 2024 to the head of the UNHCR mission, Pablo Vizcaíno, and signed by the Integral Ethnic Foundation La Fei, the National Migration Table, the Integral Well-being Without Borders Organization, and the National Table for Migrations and Refugees of the Dominican Republic. As reported the proposal would grant permanent residency to undocumented Haitian children based on the foreign birth certificates issued in the Dominican Republic. Hundreds of thousands of children of Haitian descent are born in the Dominican Republic given the practical inexistence of hospitals in Haiti. In the Dominican Republic they receive free services at Dominican public hospitals.

All of these organizations along with their supporters should be permanently removed from the country and banned from re-entry.

The article focuses on removing "undocumented immigrants" not legal immigrants who provided a valid/ accepted form of ID/ Passport/
documentation upon their arrival so there's absolutely no need to have the "overstay vs. legal residence" conversation as this does not appear
to be their main focus at this point in time.

Why not?

I am so glad I neve have to deal with those meatheads again unless I want to renew my DR passport and that is a entirely other ludicrous situation they caused.

 

[David61]

I don't know about the procedure for new residents and the way this is handled but my experiences with immigration are 100% Positive.
Renewal process online is as flawless as it can get and if i needed to call somebody, i never waited more than 2-3 minutes for an agent to pick up the phone.

New Application are entirely other process

 

[David61]

Gómez Ramírez explained that this proposal was outlined in a communication sent on 18 September 2024 to the head of the UNHCR mission, Pablo Vizcaíno, and signed by the Integral Ethnic Foundation La Fei, the National Migration Table, the Integral Well-being Without Borders Organization, and the National Table for Migrations and Refugees of the Dominican Republic. As reported the proposal would grant permanent residency to undocumented Haitian children based on the foreign birth certificates issued in the Dominican Republic. Hundreds of thousands of children of Haitian descent are born in the Dominican Republic given the practical inexistence of hospitals in Haiti. In the Dominican Republic they receive free services at Dominican public hospitals.

All of these organizations along with their supporters should be permanently removed from the country and banned from re-entry.

The article focuses on removing "undocumented immigrants" not legal immigrants who provided a valid/ accepted form of ID/ Passport/
documentation upon their arrival so there's absolutely no need to have the "overstay vs. legal residence" conversation as this does not appear
to be their main focus at this point in time.

It's an open forum and there are concerns with DGM in general. Therefore, as a reader I am interested with the expanded topics and conversations about DGM

 

[David61]

Gosh. Mine was the absolute opposite. I submitted my application online, waited 6 weeks and heard nothing. Went to Migracion not once, not twice, but six times. I eventually was told to come in at 9am and someone would see me, only because I said my mother was ill and I needed to go back to my country. Went at 9am, was told the lady who dealt with me was having breakfast, then she had to process another urgent application, finally saw me at 11am. I'm an investor and supposedly we are fast-tracked. Yeah right.

Exactly my point, hopefully you were able to make progress. The article mentions improve operational effectiveness and efficency. Remember, normally at the TOP positions are not tuned into the reality of the operational floor and always provided what the subordinates share

 

[drisforme]

Exactly my point, hopefully you were able to make progress. The article mentions improve operational effectiveness and efficency. Remember, normally at the TOP positions are not tuned into the reality of the operational floor and always provided what the subordinates share

Sorry, it's the responsibility of the "TOP positions" to ensure that what ever is reported to them is accurate.Should be part of the improvement in operational effectiveness and efficiency mentioned .

 

[JLSawmam]

My experiences with DGM have been positive for the most part. I received my temporary residency in 2018 under the "regularization" plan, which did have a couple hiccups along the way but the office here in POP handling those applications helped get my appointment in SDO straightened out. Since then, the only issue has been figuring out what insurance company is doing the repatriation polices...DGM's websites do need to be updated more quickly. I probably will pursue permanent residency next year, so we'll see how that process goes.

As far as DGM and the Haitian issue, I saw on the text crawler on CNN this morning that DR announced yesterday plans to begin large-scale deportation of Haitians living illegally here. Fair enough, although my concern would be for those who entered legally and due to the chaos in Haiti have been unable to renew visas or other documents needed to remain legal.

 

[drisforme]

My experiences with DGM have been positive for the most part. I received my temporary residency in 2018 under the "regularization" plan, which did have a couple hiccups along the way but the office here in POP handling those applications helped get my appointment in SDO straightened out. Since then, the only issue has been figuring out what insurance company is doing the repatriation polices...DGM's websites do need to be updated more quickly. I probably will pursue permanent residency next year, so we'll see how that process goes.

As far as DGM and the Haitian issue, I saw on the text crawler on CNN this morning that DR announced yesterday plans to begin large-scale deportation of Haitians living illegally here. Fair enough, although my concern would be for those who entered legally and due to the chaos in Haiti have been unable to renew visas or other documents needed to remain legal.

Yes .Talking about 10,000 Haitians / week ! see French news with a video of the announcement with President Luis Abinader.

 

[NanSanPedro]

My experiences with DGM have been positive for the most part. I received my temporary residency in 2018 under the "regularization" plan, which did have a couple hiccups along the way but the office here in POP handling those applications helped get my appointment in SDO straightened out. Since then, the only issue has been figuring out what insurance company is doing the repatriation polices...DGM's websites do need to be updated more quickly. I probably will pursue permanent residency next year, so we'll see how that process goes.

As far as DGM and the Haitian issue, I saw on the text crawler on CNN this morning that DR announced yesterday plans to begin large-scale deportation of Haitians living illegally here. Fair enough, although my concern would be for those who entered legally and due to the chaos in Haiti have been unable to renew visas or other documents needed to remain legal.

This is the issue with my kid. I would pay for the visa and the monthly renewals if I could. He is also not a drain on the economy because I fully support him, including the infrequent medical. However, there's no way I can make them understand that. So we just pay the occasional bribe and move on.

 

[CristoRey]

It's an open forum and there are concerns with DGM in general. Therefore, as a reader I am interested with the expanded topics and conversations about DGM

I understand your point however the overstay topic has been covered (some might say beaten to death) in other threads.

 

[CristoRey]

Dominican Republic announces mass deportation plan.
The Dominican government has announced a large-scale plan to deport around 10,000 undocumented immigrants weekly, emphasizing that the United Nations must respect its national sovereignty. President Luis Abinader led the announcement during a press conference, supported by key government officials.

The decision followed a meeting of the National Security and Defense Council, and government spokesperson Homero Figueroa emphasized that all deportations would adhere to strict protocols respecting human rights and dignity. The initiative aims to reduce the impact of a growing migrant population on Dominican communities, with a strong focus on protecting national stability and security.

To address migration challenges, the government is implementing a comprehensive strategy combining security and human rights protections. This plan includes the enhancement of border surveillance through additional personnel, specialized equipment, and advanced technology like drones and camera systems.

It also involves measures to dismantle human trafficking networks, supported by international organizations, and the establishment of protocols for the safe and dignified return of migrants in collaboration with Haitian authorities. Further, the General Directorate of Migration will see an increase in inspectors and training programs to ensure efficient and humane handling of deportations.

The initiative responds to slow progress in international efforts, such as the Kenya-led mission to stabilize Haiti, necessitating decisive action to safeguard Dominican security. Infrastructure projects for border control centers and repatriation camps will be undertaken to manage migrant flows effectively.

The government has underscored that while defending sovereignty, it remains committed to respecting human rights and working with regional partners to address the complexities of migration in the region.

Source: Dominican Today

From what friends have been telling me, this has already started in Sosua.

 

[David61]

Sorry, it's the responsibility of the "TOP positions" to ensure that what ever is reported to them is accurate.Should be part of the improvement in operational effectiveness and efficiency mentioned .

Agree but that's not the reality here in the DR

 

[David61]

I understand your point however the overstay topic has been covered (some might say beaten to death) in other threads.

Understood but now new leadership..so let's see what happens, 23 years here in the DR not expecting much, Unfortunately !