A commentary in El Nacional on Sunday, 25 February 2018, says that there would not be so much undocumented migration to the Dominican Republic without the complicity of the authorities. Jorge González pinpoints the complicity of the Dominican army and the Cesfront security force in the immigration.
The lure is that Haitians readily find work and free public services such as education and public health for themselves and their family in the Dominican Republic. Haitians accept to work for less and the undocumented workers have displaced Dominicans in jobs such as house painters, gardeners, delivery, maids, janitors and house and apartment securities, multi-fare car taxis and street vendors. Work in these areas is greater than the original jobs sought in sugar cane cutting or other farm jobs of decades past. Hundreds and thousands are employed in construction work, with a large number undocumented.
The author writes that on market days it is simple to cross over to Dajabón or Jimaní. González writes that there are no less than six or seven military checkpoints on the roads from Dajabón or Montecristi on the border with Haiti to Santiago or Santo Domingo. He mentions Cañongo, Carbonera, Cruce de Pepillo Salcedo, Jaibón and near the Yaque del Norte river bridge.
González explains that four military groups are entrusted with carrying out the inspections. But he describes as “useless” the presence on the border of the four government departments in charge of checking immigration. These are: Department for Operations and Border Investigations (DOIF), the Dominican Army and its intelligence branches, the J2 and G2, the Migration Agency (DGM), the Specialized Corps for Border Security (CESFRONT).
“The mass entry of Haitians, drug and weapon trafficking, contraband in garlic, from one of these two provinces to Santo Domingo, would be impossible if there were no military structure to support it,” he writes.
He mentions reports that Haitians buy forged ID cards to make the crossing. When they are discovered, the IDs are seized and the undocumented Haitians are deported. But then the IDs are sold to others for the illegal entry. He writes the mafia moves millions of pesos every day.
“Although there are five “controlled” border access points (Montecristi, Dajabón, Elías Piña, Independencia and Pedernales) to the Dominican Republic from Haiti, the truth is that along the entire border (382.8 kilometers) there is no type of real control, and those that are undocumented can enter and leave whenever they want,” he concludes.
Minister of Defense, Lieutenant General Rubén Darío Paulino Sem defended the Army. He said the army and Cesfront members had tripled the number of deported undocumented Haitians so far this year. He said the increased presence of Haitians in urban areas is because the 284,000 Haitian nationals that were issued National Foreign Legalization Plan (PNRE) ID cards are being renewed. Most of the Haitian nationals who applied under the plan have been issued temporary permits because the Haitian government has not issued the documentation to complete the procedures.
The mayors from Santiago and Puerto Plata city have expressed their concern over the increasing immigration of undocumented nationals. The mayors complain about the constant city law violations by the Haitian undocumented immigrants.
Read more in Spanish:
El Nacional
El Dia
26 February 2018
