The Migration Agency (DGM) announced it will impose hefty fines on businesses caught employing foreign workers illegally. The move is part of a broader campaign to eradicate the practice nationwide, N Digital reports.
The agency’s legal department stated that penalties will be levied according to Article 132 of the country’s General Migration Law No. 285-04, which mandates fines ranging from five to thirty minimum public sector salaries for those who hire or facilitate employment for foreigners without legal authorization to work in the Dominican Republic. The size of the fine will correspond to the number of undocumented workers found at each inspected establishment.
The DGM warned that such operations will continue across the country due to numerous complaints about the indiscriminate use of unauthorized foreign labor. This practice often leads to violations of workers’ rights, tax evasion, and breaches of existing legal frameworks.
These actions are part of the institution’s strategic plan to combat informal migration, human trafficking, and other activities that threaten public order and national security. The operations are being conducted in coordination with various state entities, including the Ministry of Defense, the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
In recent weeks, authorities of the Customs Agency (DGA) intervened several Chinese-owned stores and shopping centers in the Greater Santo Domingo area and Cibao area following up on violations of import regulations. For years, competing businesses that meet tax and labor regulations have argued the Chinese are bending the laws and represent unfair competition with the compliance of the authorities.
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N Digital
7 May 2025