our Haitian gardener/pool guy got picked up

[2020]

Our Haitian gardener who also maintains the pools in our Las Terrenas complex just got picked up from the street and is in jail in a nearby town. From there, he'll be deported. He's been with us since 2012 and has worked for his patron for the last 20 years in total. His wife and infant daughter are still in the village somewhere, hiding I'm guessing. With no means of support. He was dependable as a Timex watch and just wanted a better life for his family.

It's a tragic situation

 

[JD Jones]

When I bought my farm in Puerto Plata, one of my neighbors and I quickly made friends. Between the two of us we came up with a plan to clean all 29 tareas and remove all the stumps and rocks.
We had a few Haitians in the area we met, and my neighbor friend spoke highly of them, but that there was no shortage of neighbors who needed the work, and we should use them.
That's what we did, and all of them became good friends.
When it was all cleared, one of them came up to me and said "You're going to need someone to keep it clean now"
My neighbor told me he was a serious, hardworking kid with a wife and two babies, and that he would be a good choice.
The Haitians disappeared after a few weeks (always looking for something better) and Koki, the guy I picked, stayed with me for 7 years, until we sold the place.
Yardwork, driver, messenger... he did it all.
We figured out his liquidation online. He said it was fair, and I gave him twice as much. Pocket change for me, he was overjoyed.

 

[Father Guido]

If he come to the front of the line and bypass all the legal formalities, why can't everyone who wants to leave Haiti just walk right in and go to the front of the line. The people who orchestrated his illegal employment should be arrested too.

 

[NanSanPedro]

Our Haitian gardener who also maintains the pools in our Las Terrenas complex just got picked up from the street and is in jail in a nearby town. From there, he'll be deported. He's been with us since 2012 and has worked for his patron for the last 20 years in total. His wife and infant daughter are still in the village somewhere, hiding I'm guessing. With no means of support. He was dependable as a Timex watch and just wanted a better life for his family.

It's a tragic situation

I'm assuming you're a gringo like me. Is there anything you can do?

 

[AlterEgo]

I'm assuming you're a gringo like me. Is there anything you can do?

Is there actually something anyone can do at this point? I suspect many come right back after they’re deported.

To the OP, sad story, but begs the question of why he never took advantage of the amnesty / regularization programs offered over the past 20 years.

We had a Haitian gardener/caretaker for almost that long. One of Mr AE’s brothers met him in Punta Cana and brought him to our property (until he got “married” he lived in one of the out buildings). He left us to take a construction job that he thought was better for him. (Plus he and our (Dominican) maid hated each other with a passion). He had a passport but no cedula. We paid him his liquidation and off he went. Occasionally we see him around the neighborhood, I often think of him when I read these stories.

 

[CristoRey]

Dominicans will be lining up (be it of their own accord or forced economic hardship) in the not too distant future to take these jobs... so hang in there.

 

[AlterEgo]

Dominicans will be lining up (be it of their own accord or forced economic hardship) in the not too distant future to take these jobs... so hang in there.

I agree. In our case, all our employees are now Dominican.

Of course, the point of the OP is that the guy who was picked up was an important part of their daily living. Unfortunately, we can’t pick and choose who stays and who goes.

 

[RG84]

Dominicans will be lining up (be it of their own accord or forced economic hardship) in the not too distant future to take these jobs... so hang in there.

 

[drstock]

I'm assuming you're a gringo like me. Is there anything you can do?

The only thing anyone could do is go to the immigration centre and try to pay a bribe. 7-10,000 pesos should do the trick. They are usually taken to the centre first for a day or two before being deported. I don't know where the centre is that would be for Las Terrenas but I think it may be Santiago.

 

[drstock]

Is there actually something anyone can do at this point? I suspect many come right back after they’re deported.

To the OP, sad story, but begs the question of why he never took advantage of the amnesty / regularization programs offered over the past 20 years.

My former gardener for fourteen years went through all of the expensive and time-consuming regularization process but like several others that he knows didn't get it for some unknown reason. His brother, who did exactly the same process got his. I did mine and got mine. My guy got an annual visa after that, but now the process takes so long that he is currently without one.

 

[2020]

Is there actually something anyone can do at this point? I suspect many come right back after they’re deported.

To the OP, sad story, but begs the question of why he never took advantage of the amnesty / regularization programs offered over the past 20 years.

We had a Haitian gardener/caretaker for almost that long. One of Mr AE’s brothers met him in Punta Cana and brought him to our property (until he got “married” he lived in one of the out buildings). He left us to take a construction job that he thought was better for him. (Plus he and our (Dominican) maid hated each other with a passion). He had a passport but no cedula. We paid him his liquidation and off he went. Occasionally we see him around the neighborhood, I often think of him when I read these stories.

He actually went to Haiti to take advantage of the amnesty program a ways back. He was stuck there for a few months getting the documentation in order.
The last item went into limbo and came back a broken man coming so close getting his paperwork 100% perfect.

 

[2020]

The only thing anyone could do is go to the immigration centre and try to pay a bribe. 7-10,000 pesos should do the trick. They are usually taken to the centre first for a day or two before being deported. I don't know where the centre is that would be for Las Terrenas but I think it may be Santiago.

We are actually trying to do that. The "contribution" is 15,000 DR pesos. We all agreed to chip in

 

[JLSawmam]

We are actually trying to do that. The "contribution" is 15,000 DR pesos. We all agreed to chip in

My cynical side thinks he will be taken in again. Paying the "contribution" doesn't solve anything for him not only postpones the issue.

 

[AlterEgo]

My cynical side thinks he will be taken in again. Paying the "contribution" doesn't solve anything for him not only postpones the issue.

Hate to say it, but I thought the same thing. He’ll be a prime target afterwards.

 

[JLSawmam]

View attachment 9887

This guy's a born recruiter! It would be great if he went back to the same construction site in three days to show an update of all the new workers

 

[chico bill]

Dominicans will be lining up (be it of their own accord or forced economic hardship) in the not too distant future to take these jobs... so hang in there.

Not a friggin chance. They will be on their phone all day in the shade and keep asking when you're buying their lunch

 

[CristoRey]

Not a friggin chance. They will be on their phone all day in the shade and keep asking when you're buying their lunch.

Yet another reason I live in Santiago and not Sosua 😄

 

[cavok]

I don't known what the big deal is about doing construction work? After I got out of high school, I needed some money. My friends and I heard of a construction job that was hiring. Minimum wage. It was in the middle of summer with many days in the 90's. It was hot, hard work. No different than what Haitians are doing here. No immigrants on the job legal or otherwise - just Americans. If I and my friends could do it - anyone can.

 

[drisforme]

I don't known what the big deal is about doing construction work? After I got out of high school, I needed some money. My friends and I heard of a construction job that was hiring. Minimum wage. It was in the middle of summer with many days in the 90's. It was hot, hard work. No different than what Haitians are doing here. No immigrants on the job legal or otherwise - just Americans. If I and my friends could do it - anyone can.

Will you do it for 800 pesos a day ? It's the daily rate in the largest very nice community of houses in Sosua for construction worker obviously Haitian.
You sleep on site and you need to take care of your own food.

Unfortunately ,it's the sad reality .Some people are making a tonne of $ .They are not Haitians.

Peace

 

[cavok]

Will you do it for 800 pesos a day ? It's the daily rate in the largest very nice community of houses in Sosua for construction worker obviously Haitian.
You sleep on site and you need to take care of your own food.

Unfortunately ,it's the sad reality .Some people are making a tonne of $ .They are not Haitians.

Peace

Absolutely! I'm too old now, but if I were a young Dominican or Haitian and needed money, I would! I had to continue to live with my parents with the minimum wage I received back then I needed the money and that's what was available.. Then, myself and two friends were able to rent a small, not so nice apartment and I had to buy my own food.

This whole concept of a minimum wage being a "living wage" didn't exist when I was growing up. No way was I, or anyone else back then going to be buying a house and driving a nice on minimum wage, but that's what all these snowflakes expect today for knowing nothing and having zero skills.