Buses, trucks and vans, the soldiers accompanied by immigration officials have arrested this week, hundreds of Haitian illegal immigrants in the streets and main avenues of the capital Santo-Domingo, to be deported.

These massive operations, are intended to repatriate the "foreigners" living illegally in Dominican territory. According to immigration officials there would be more than one million of our countrymen who work and live illegally in Dominican Republic "In the streets of Santo Domingo, Santiago, and in tourist towns such as La Romana, Puerto Plata and Higuey, we can see them walk [the Haitians] early in the morning, they also use bicycles and other transportation to go to their work" reported a military source.

Sales of fruit, the construction industry, tourism and domestic service are often the only income opportunities for our compatriots living in the Dominican Republic.

Despite government efforts, the Haitians repatriated in Haiti, are numerous to quickly back across the border and be back soon after... Nevertheless, the authorities have declared their intention to continue the repatriation of Haitians without a residence permit, despite the criticisms and denunciations of the organizations defending the human rights.

The Dominican Republic, knows very well that these returns cost a lot of money to our countrymen [pay the smugglers or complicity at the borders] and that inevitably one day, they will not be able to return.

The Jesuits raised against these methods of massive repatriation, believing that this will not solve the serious problem of migration in the Dominican Republic which obliges this country to bear the growing costs of education and health of illegal immigrants.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-2335-haiti-social-5480-haitians-repatriated-to-haiti.html

HL/ HaïtiLibre