El Caribe reports that the number of Dominicans attempting to make illegal crossings to the neighboring island of Puerto Rico has doubled. In June alone, 489 people were apprehended in the endeavor, which for many Dominicans represents a stepping-stone to the US mainland. It also emerges that Puerto Rican vessels are being used for the lucrative yet illegal business of crossing the perilous Mona Passage that divides the two islands. The newspaper quotes the average cost per passenger at between RD$20,000 and RD$25,000. In many cases, however, the would-be immigrants never reach their destination, and the lucky ones are found by the US coastguard or Dominican navy (Marina de Guerra) before they die of thirst and exposure, adrift on the fragile crafts used for the crossings. El Caribe quotes a woman whose attempt was thwarted by the navy: “I have a sick child and need the money? I have to go because here no one gives me anything and if I don’t go, where will I get the money from?” The woman is determined to take the risk again. A young builder echoed her sentiment: “The moment I can, I will try again.”
It is difficult to gauge the exact number of crossings made, and the navy is non-committal about the believed increase. The fact that Puerto Rican boat owners are entering the business suggests an increase in demand, according to the newspaper. The vessels are considered safer and their owners are therefore able to charge higher prices than their Dominican counterparts – purportedly as much as RD$45,000 per passenger. There are also reports that those of other nationalities, such as Eastern Europeans and Cubans, frequently make the crossing as a way of entering the United States, paying an even higher amount (around US$2,000 per person).
El Caribe links the escalation in illegal crossings to the current economic situation, and in its main editorial says the number of people making the journey is an economic indicator in itself. The increase is directly related to the severity of the economic situation, according to the writer. Rising inflation and growing unemployment are direct factors in the exodus of Dominicans, willing to pay RD$25,000 or even RD$45,000, so convinced are they that the situation at home is hopeless. The editorial ends on a relatively upbeat note, reminding readers that the country has recovered from crises like these in the past, and that everything is resting “on the leadership’s vision and capacity. That is the challenge.”