Haitian presidential candidate Evans Paul has said that the Haitian consulates should take on the role of providing Haitian documentation for children born in the Dominican Republic. He said that this is one of the main problems for relations between the two countries. In the past, Haitian consulates have refused to issue birth certificates to Haitian children born in the DR.
Paul told Hoy newspaper: “Any person born to a Haitian father or mother is Haitian. I think that my country and my government will recognize them as Haitians,” he said. He said that the children of Haitians are Haitians living abroad and that International Law refers to jus solis and jus sanginis, and the Haitian Constitution recognizes jus sanginis, which is the right of bloodline. He said that the priority is to provide a solution to the problem of hundreds of Haitian children who do not have a legal status. He said he would work to create favorable conditions for businessmen wanting to invest along the border with Haiti.