Countless videos show thousands lining up to enter on binational market days in border provinces. There is no identity check on those who enter, nor are there controls on those who leave the Dominican Republic.
During a meeting with Elias Piña province authorities and business people held in Comendador, director of Migration, Vice Admiral Luis Rafael Lee Ballester proposed stricter migration controls for those who seek to enter the country on binational market days. Most people in Haiti do not have any legal documentation whatsoever.
Vice Admiral Lee Ballester stated that individuals accessing these commercial hubs should be required to carry identification documents from their country of origin. This measure aims to verify the nationality of market-goers and bolster security levels in the Dominican Republic.
The director-general shared his views during an expanded meeting focused on the construction of a binational market in this region. This project, initiated by President Luis Abinader, seeks to stimulate development along the border and ensure that local communities benefit from this progress.
The meeting was convened by local authorities, including Governor Migdalia de los Santos Jiménez, Mayor Liriano Morillo, members of Congress, and business leaders. The aim was to engage with national institutions involved in the project and discuss various aspects of the binational commercial center.
Erick Dorrejo, director of Development Policies for the Border Zone, an agency under the Ministry of Economy, Planning, and Development, explained that the meeting served to present the broader development plan for Carrizal to local authorities and business representatives. This plan encompasses a range of elements and infrastructure improvements to ensure the area’s advancement.
Ramón E. Pérez, director-general of Border Development, noted that a coordination committee was named. This body will address any issues arising from the commercial component of the project, ultimately ensuring that the province of Elías Piña, and particularly the municipality of Comendador, are the primary beneficiaries.
Others attending were legislator Carlos Morillo; General José Rodríguez, ERD, director of the Specialized Border Security Corps; General Luis A. Coronado Abreu, ERD, supervisor of the border fence construction; and Octavio Landolfi, director of Domestic Trade at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
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Migration Agency
El Caribe
Diario Libre
5 February 2025