According to Major General Ruben Dario Paulino Sem, during the first two months of this year, the Dominican Army prevented 8,500 Haitian nationals from entering the Dominican Republic illegally in several parts of the border area, a number that he described as “unprecedented”.
While stressing that January and February have always been busy months, with many taking advantage of the returning Haitians living in the Dominican Republic, after speding the festive season with their families in Haiti, Paulino Sem said that since last year, the Dominican Republic had noted a significant increase in the number of Haitians trying to enter illegally for the first time.
He said that the interceptions had been achieved through a significant increase in border patrols, by sending a Task Force to the border of the two countries every 15 days and stepping up the work of Intelligence Directorate G-2. He said that in 2013, 52,000 Haitian nationals tried to cross the border illegally and had been returned to Haiti while the number was only about 20,000 in 2012.
www.haitilibre.com/en/news-10746-haiti-security-in-two-months-the-dominican-army-prevented-the-illegal-entry-of-8-500-haitians.html
www.southcom.mil/newsroom/Documents/2014_SOUTHCOM_Posture_Statement_HASC_FINAL_PDF.pdf
http://dr1.com/premium/news/2014/dnews030414.shtml#7