The Dominican government has rejected the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruling that condemns the country for violating the rights of the children of undocumented foreigners. In a statement read out by government spokesman Roberto Rodriguez Marchena yesterday, Thursday 23 October 2014, the Medina administration described the ruling as “poorly timed, biased and inappropriate.”
The statement outlining the Dominican government response says that the country adheres to Article 1 of the Convention of The Hague that empowers each state to regulate and define, according to its law who its nationals are”.
“This principal pillar of international law, is non-negotiable for the Dominican government,” it states in its reply to the IAHCR judgment that recommended the country amend the Constitution and legal standards to enable Dominican nationality to be granted to the descendants of undocumented immigrants who have allegedly been victims of rights violations.
The Dominican government said that it believes that the recent IAHCR ruling refers to events dating back to 1999-2000 and ignores many circumstances, including the implementation of an integrated plan for the legalization of all people who live in the Dominican Republic. He said that recent events show the DR has the firm will to modernize and improve its legal framework.
Constitutional Court Ruling 168-13 ordered the Dominican government implement the National Foreign Legalization Plan. The Medina administration subsequently passed a bill that granted a fast-track procedure to Dominican nationality for select foreigners who had been already granted Dominican documentation. The Medina administration also maintained an open dialogue with the Haitian government for the legalization of its citizens living in the Dominican Republic. The Haitian government has opened four consulates in the Dominican Republic to help with the legalization process.
In the document, the Dominican government says that the authorities have the duty to defend Dominican sovereignty, maintain political and social stability and foster a climate of peaceful coexistence.
“Ultimately, we firmly believe that the roadmap we have set is the right way to achieve our goal, which has always been and will be the same: to build a country without exclusion and without discrimination, in which human rights and fundamental respect for the laws go hand in hand with the same purpose: promoting the happiness of people.”
http://presidencia.gob.do/noticias/el-gobierno-dominicano-rechaza-la-sentencia-de-la-corte-interamericana-de-derechos-humanos