In the areas of Elias Piña, not the normal “hotspot” for immigration issues, the authorities are facing an ever-increasing pressure from Haitians migrants. According to the El Nacional newspaper, authorities there have detained and repatriated over 6,000 persons over the past eight months. With the growing protests and violence in Haiti, along with scarcities of very basic items, the Dominican military high command has been obliged to reinforce patrols and vigilance along the border.
A recent report prepared by the military does say that the bi-national markets that take place regularly in Banica, Pedro Santana. Comendador and Hondo Valle have continued to operate normally. Sources say that the flow of merchandise has been steady. One military officer said that they have doubled the number of troops as a way of dealing with the immigration pressure, which he says is growing every day.
Persons interviewed by the reporters, nevertheless, said that in spite of the increased vigilance by the Migration Agency (DGM) and the Dominican military, lots of persons who participate in the markets in the six cities along the border in this province of Elías Piña, manage to make their way into the major cities after market day is over.
While this is the scenario along the border, in places like Santiago de los Caballeros, wholesalers and retailers are complaining about a drop in sales. Julio Cesar Pérez, the president of the Wholesaler Association, told the Listín Diario that the international community needs to pay attention to what was happening in Haiti. As a result of the violence in the neighboring country, the flow of commerce has been reduced in Santiago and other cities.
Read more in Spanish:
El Nacional
El Caribe
21 October 2019