The Haitian government committed to double efforts to issue identity cards to its citizens. Most Haitians who cross the frontier do so without any legal documentation or identification of any kind. The Haitian government does not make it mandatory for its citizens to get their identity cards, birth certificates, or any legal documentation. This has brought major difficulties when the Haitians seek to integrate with life in the DR. The commitment was made as part of agreements after an extraordinary migration meeting was held on Wednesday and Thursday at the Ministry of Foreign Relations in Santo Domingo. Dominican and Haitian authorities committed to implement a series of mechanisms for the deporting of Haitians from the DR. DR agreed that deportations can only be made from 8 to 6 pm, and from 8 to noon on Sundays and holidays of both countries. The Dominican government agreed to not separate immediate families (parents and children) when deporting Haitians. The new protocol was signed by the Dominican Ambassador in Charge of Haitian Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Relations Wenceslao Guerrero and by Guy Lamothe, charge d’affairs of the Haitian Embassy in the DR. Haiti has not sent an ambassador to the DR. It was agreed that deportations will be made exclusively through the points of Jimaní/Malpasse, Dajabón/Quanaminthe, Elías Piña/Belladere and Pedernales/Anse-a-Pitre. The Haitian government committed to reinforce and establish migration inspection booths at those points to receive the deported Haitians. The protocol also establishes that the authorities will facilitate that the deported Haitians leave together with their belongings. It was also agreed that the Dominican Migration Department will report the list of the persons to be deported with reasonable time to the Haitian authorities.
