The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights issued a statement in Port-au-Prince, Haiti last week that provoked a very strong response from the Dominican government. Volker Türk, the High Commissioner, told reporters in the Haitian capital that as long as the current state of violence exists in Haiti, it is a violation of human rights for the Dominican Republic to deport illegal immigrants from the neighboring nation. He told reporters that he had heard “terrible stories” about the treatment of Haitians in the Dominican Republic.
Back in November of 2022, the UNHRC asked the country to stop deporting Haitians. Upon hearing of the High Commissioner’s request, President Luis Abinader said that they were “unacceptable” and “irresponsible” and added that the deportations would not only not stop, but that they would be increasing.
After last week’s comments hit the news, Dominican Foreign Minister Roberto Alvarez told reporters very clearly and emphatically that the Dominican Republic has the right to deport and repatriate illegal aliens. He also noted that the solution to Haiti’s problems cannot be in immigration to the Dominican Republic. He has said that the Dominican Republic has the sovereign right to deport illegal immigrants.
Alvarez also noted that there were major errors in Türk’s statements, especially when he referred to the deportation of minors. Alvarez made it clear that two children were deported with their parents and over 3,000 were handed over to the National Children’s Council in the DR, and these, in turn, were handed over to the IBERS institution that looks after children in Haiti.
The Foreign Minister said that over 34% of all births in Dominican hospitals are for Haitian women that are here illegally, and the DR cannot provide all of Hiaiti’s basic needs.
Several other public figures noted that the most exasperating fact is that the international community has done little to nothing to change the multidimensional crisis in Haiti leaving the Dominican Republic to single-handedly deal with the immigration pressures.
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Noticias SIN
13 February 2023