A series of public figures are questioning the announcement of a national census of all foreigners residing in the Dominican Republic. Rafael Flores Estrella, Leopoldo Espaillat Nanita and deputy Pelegrin Castillo have all asked for stricter controls at the border, the airports and the ports in order for the census to be effective. The politicians also suggested a thorough revision of the electoral rolls. In separate statements, the three men agreed that the main issue is the presence of thousands of Haitians, since the Europeans, Americans and other nationalities do not represent that large a number of persons. The three politicians told Diario Libre reporters that they felt that the presence of such significant numbers of Haitians could well represent a threat to the nation.
Meanwhile, Orlando Gil of the Listin Diario called the census the equivalent of appointing a commission to study the problem. That is, merely a measure that postpones taking firm and immediate decisions. “How is the census going to be carried out? Are they thinking that the illegal aliens are going to allow themselves to be polled, knowing they run the risk of detention or subsequent deportation? The people of the National Council of Migration are dreaming,” he writes.