The Dominican Republic has begun a vigorous defense of the Executive Branch’s position on the Constitutional Court ruling on nationality.
In a session at the Organization of American States (OAS) the legal consultant to the Executive Branch, Cesar Pina Toribio, read out the Dominican position in response to a request by St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
He said that the number of people who would be affected was a fraction of what he described as the “alarmist” estimates, and that the Central Electoral Board (JCE) had investigated 16,945 birth certificates issued from 2008 to 2013 and only 1,088, that is 6%, had been provisionally suspended due to duplication, identity theft and other reasons.
He said that of the 42,015 cedulas (identity cards) which the JCE cancelled from 2007 to 2013, only 410, just 1% were for false claims of nationality and he clarified that the JCE had the job of correcting all irregularities, not simply immigration issues.
Pina Toribio head the Dominican delegation, made up of the ambassador to the OAS, Giovanny Ramirez, JCE president Roberto Rosario, and the deputy minister of Foreign Relations, Alejandra Liriano.
Pina Toribio said that the Haitian immigrants’ human rights were respected just like any other nationality and were allowed free access to education, health and work without having to present their identification papers, just the same as a Dominican.
He said that 13% of births in public hospitals were to Haitian mothers who were not necessarily legal residents in the country and this cost the Dominican state around RD$3 billion (US$69.8 million) a year. He said that statistics showed that Haitian immigrants in the country used around 18% of the national health budget and that in border region hospitals, 50% of births are to Haitian nationals.
He confirmed that immigrants had the same challenges as Dominicans with 34% of the country’s population living below the poverty line. He went on to say that 15,000 Haitians were studying at Dominican universities for the same fees as Dominicans and with the same opportunity for scholarships.
Pina Toribio also highlighted the friendly relationship between Haiti and the Dominican Republic that had become closer over the last few years, and stressed the help given to Haiti following the earthquake in January 2010. He also commented on hostility from the Haitian government. “Despite our openness and respect, we have received an unjustifiably hostile response from the authorities of the neighboring country, which does not show reciprocity with the conciliation and harmonizing attitude of the Dominican government. This response, which we do not understand, generates unnecessary tensions.”
The Haitian delegation confirmed that they wanted to continue living peacefully alongside the Dominican Republic but expressed their concern that the Constitutional Court ruling would affect their nationals. They called on the OAS to recommend that the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights investigate the situation in the Dominican Republic and it was agreed that they would make a visit.
www.listindiario.com/la-republica/2013/10/30/297681/RD-defiende-su-soberania-durante-sesion-en-la-OEA
http://presidencia.gob.do/comunicados/rep%C3%BAblica-dominicana-explica-ante-oea-estrategia-regularizaci%C3%B3n-de-extranjeros