Senator for Pedernales, Dioni Sánchez, is concerned about the ever-increasing migration of Haitians to the Dominican Republic. According to Sanchez, the lack of opportunities in Haiti and the lure of free education and health services as well as better paid work are behind the increasing flow of illegal immigration of undocumented Haitians to the Dominican Republic.
The border is 391 km long and crossings are relatively easy. The military have been accused of complicity in allowing transportation through the road checkpoints.
Senator Sánchez said creating jobs in the border region would deter mass immigration. Another deterrent to unchecked immigration would be rigorously enforcing laws that penalize employers who hire undocumented workers, he says.
The Dominican Labor Law clearly states that companies are only authorized to hire 20% foreigners for their work force. But over the years the Ministry of Labor has not enforced this regulation.
“To resolve the border issues it is necessary to create a wall made up of industries on all the border. You know that the needs of the Haitians, because of all the problems in that country, mean that immigration will not be stopped in the same way the United States have not been able to stop Mexican immigration.”
He said the situation can be tackled by making more jobs available at the border so that Haitians do not have to cross into the Dominican Republic to seek a living wage.
“And if we [the Dominican government] have to build hospitals and schools on the Haitian side of the border, that this should be done to stabilize the border region, then so be it. These investments, Sanchez argued, would be cheaper in the long run. That is what has to be done to resolve the problem of the undocumented people arriving to our country,” said the senator.
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El Nacional
12 March 2018
