A recent case of a Haitian who assaulted at night point medical staff at the Dario Contreras Hospital in Santo Domingo, and then fled, reportedly back to Haiti, and then in less than a week was detained as part of a group of Haitians who crossed the border, is being regarded as evidence of the reality of the open border with Haiti.
Meanwhile, announcements of deportations of Haitians from the Dominican Republic to Haiti make headlines around the world. A story in El Nacional by Julio Gomez tells a different blunt reality. El Nacional reports most of the thousands that are deported at a high cost to Dominican taxpayers cross back into Dominican territory through unguarded points in matters of days. The Dominican border with Haiti is about 390 km long, of which there is a new fence for around 50 km and four road checkpoints in Dajabón/Ouanaminthe, Comendador/Belladère, Jimaní/Malpasse and Pedernales/Anse-à-Pitre.
Residents in these areas say that while there are daily deportations, these fail to curb the irregular migratory flow. They explain that the permeability of the border and the lack of resources to guarantee effective surveillance allows the deportees to find ways to return in a short time.
Residents assure that hundreds of Haitian immigrants have settled irregularly in communities on the Dominican side, renting homes in sectors where citizens from the neighboring country predominate. Some areas, they mention, have been labeled as “Haitian neighborhoods” due to the high concentration of this population.
Despite the efforts of Migration authorities to comply with the provisions of President Luis Abinader, as part of his immigration control policy, the situation seems to have no immediate solution.
The lack of sufficient personnel and adequate technology for border surveillance, coupled with the precarious economic and political situation in Haiti, creates a context in which immigrants are driven to return constantly in search of better living conditions.
Likewise, residents have expressed their concern about the social and economic impact of this situation on border communities, including increased competition for informal jobs, pressure on public services, and rising levels of insecurity.
Local organizations and experts in the field have suggested that a sustainable solution would require not only greater surveillance at the border but also the strengthening of cooperation between the two countries, development programs in border areas, and a comprehensive strategy that addresses the root causes of migration. The long term solution, though, is that Haitians find jobs and social services in Haiti and not need to migrate for survival.
Read more in Spanish:
El Nacional
El Nacional
27 November 2024