Vinicio Castillo Semán, a former deputy and leader of the Fuerza Nacional Progresista (FNP) minority political party, called on employers in various sectors to bring Haitian laborers into the country legally.
Speaking at an event for the PRSC, Castillo emphasized the need for work visas and formal identification for these workers.
He argued that employers in agriculture, particularly in banana production and construction, should ensure that the laborers are legally identified and documented. “The demand for Haitian labor in construction and agriculture must be regulated formally,” Castillo stated. He criticized the outdated mentality of employing cheap and unregistered labor.
He stated that the demand for Haitian labor in construction and agricultural sectors needs to be formally regulated. He insists: “We must break the outdated mentality of relying on cheap, semi-slave labor, which leads to cramming hundreds of people into farms and construction sites without proper identification, lacking knowledge of who is working, and without the labor guarantees that our laws provide for foreigners. The solution is as the law states: temporary work visas secured by the companies that require them, with a predetermined duration.”
Castillo warned that proposing a new regularization plan for Haitians would undermine the strong measures taken by the Abinader administration to combat illegal immigration, measures that have received public support. He pointed out the positive effects of recent leadership changes within the Migration Agency, now headed by Vice Admiral Luis Rafael Lee Ballester.
The former deputy noted that the Dominican public is beginning to appreciate the synergy between Migration authorities and military forces in the fight against undocumented migration and the criminal networks that facilitate it. “The people are unified in their call to stop the massive Haitian invasion,” Castillo concluded, reinforcing his stance against any plans that would dilute current immigration policies.
Recently, with the escalating of violence in Haiti, the Dominican government announced increases in deportations, even setting a ceiling to weekly deportations at 10,000. Migration authorities are picking up Haitians who cannot demonstrate they are legally here. This has had an impact on the number of Haitians that cross over seeking the jobs, security and social services that are not available in Haiti.
The Army reported detaining 432 undocumented Haitians for deportation procedures in the past 48 hours. Under a new Army Commander and new Migration director, detentions of persons without documents have increased, with thousands being deported to Haiti. Others are voluntarily returning to Haiti.
The Dominican Republic has for decades been the escape valve to the lack of government and opportunities in Haiti. But the continuing escalating of the multidimensional crisis in Haiti has led to massive migration, significantly impacting Dominican government spending to provide the social services this migrant population demands.
This week, the Specialized Border Security Corps (Cesfront) reported having seized a high-caliber, military-grade weapon that a group of Haitian citizens was attempting to smuggle into Dominican territory.
The weapon remains under the custody of Cesfront military authorities after the traffickers managed to escape. Following a prolonged pursuit and several exchanges of gunfire, border agents successfully secured the weapon.
Security situations continue to arise, and authorities in border provinces alert to theft and other security issues.
Read more in Spanish:
Listin Diario
El Dia
El Nacional
Diario Libre
30 October 2024