The Dominican Republic would be giving up too much if it signs the pre-clearance aviation agreement for Punta Cana International Airport, with a migratory matters annex on refugees, says former Migration Agency director, Jose Ricarto Taveras. The Constitutional Court now needs to issue its opinion on the Pre-Clearance Agreement for US customs clearance that has been approved for Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ).
Former Migration Agency director, lawyer José Ricardo Taveras explains that the terms of the addendum are “unacceptable” and in violation of the Dominican Constitution. He says these violate the principle of national sovereignty when establishing that US officers would be guardians of the national policy of refugees. The agreement obliges the Dominican authorities to be accountable to the US government.
Taveras, who is also the general secretary of the National Progressive Force (FNP) political party, explained that the annex obliges the Dominican Republic to provide alternative means to those established by Dominican law in favor of people who do not meet the local migratory requirements. Taveras alerted this should be rejected by the Constitutional Court that is reviewing the agreement.
Taveras said that the pros of the agreement are not sufficient for the country to be lenient in its approval. He said the annex is contrary to the original nature of the agreement, given the country’s geopolitical circumstances. “What is the place for an annex on refugees in an aviation pre-clearance agreement?, asks Taveras. He said the scope of the agreement was all about tourists arriving via the Punta Cana International Airport, where it would be implemented. The pre-clearance agreement would also reduce the number of illegal Dominicans traveling to the United States.
The agreement was negotiated two years ago and signed by Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas Maldonado and former US Ambassador James Brewster to include the annex. Following the signing, President Danilo Medina sent the bill to the Constitutional Court for its opinion, as reported in Listin Diario. This is the reason why the service has not begun at the Punta Cana International Airport, where major investments were made to accommodate the new service.
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Listin Diario
Listin Diario
Listin Diario
22 October 2018
