The executive director of the Social and Economic Council (CES) has delivered a 32-page document outlining 25 plans for action and 151 proposals regarding just about every aspect of Dominican relations with Haiti and its citizens. Haitian migration into the Dominican Republic was perhaps a leading area of discussion.
The CES executives, President Luis Abinader and former presidents, Hipolito Mejia, Leonel Fernandez, and Danilo Medina have been talking about the many issues since last May, and their report contains the conclusions of the meetings.
Number one on the list is the task of identifying and formalizing the Haitians in the Dominican labor market. Agriculture, construction, and now tourism are the areas where a large number of undocumented Haitians try to earn a living here.
Along with this bureaucratic process, according to the CES, there are also issues of national security, sustainable development along the border, and a stricter system of visas for trans-border workers is outlined in the report.
The report emphasizes the need for “a framework that is organized, predictable, and functionable.” An interesting note is the recognition of the policies currently implemented by the Migration Agency.
Human trafficking is mentioned, and a new unit is proposed to operate under the aegis of the Justice Department. Traditional and high-tech equipment is recommended for use along the entire border, a point emphasized by President Abinader’s visit to Dajabon to inspect the first phase of the deployment of the new equipment. Health care provided to foreigners (Haitians) is mentioned, and some new protocols are suggested.
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El Caribe
22 September 2025