Dominican Republic: The “land of longing” seals itself off

Status: 12/27/2022 11:45 a.m

Violence, gang terror and, most recently, cholera have caused thousands of Haitians to flee to the neighboring country. The popular holiday country reacts with isolation and the construction of a wall.

By Marie-Kristin Boese, ARD studio Mexico City, currently Dajabon

Only a low wall still stands at the border town of Dajabon in the Dominican Republic. But soon it will grow to a good four meters, equipped with wire, sensors and watchtowers. An “intelligent wall” is being built here, reports the military like Juan Adames Almonte proudly.

“The border fence will prevent crimes such as theft and smuggling and massively restrict the flow of people.” It means people from Haiti.

A fence over hundreds of kilometers

Like the USA on the border with Mexico, the Dominican Republic is also building a massive border fence for more than 160 kilometers. The goal: foreclosure against the poor neighboring state of Haiti. The two unequal countries share the Antilles island of Hispaniola.

But while Haiti is on the brink, suffering from gang terror, poverty, the effects of severe earthquakes and, most recently, even cholera, the Dominican Republic, with its beaches and crystal-clear water, is considered a holiday paradise for Europeans.

After the pandemic, tourism is thriving and the economy is growing. Prosperity is unequally distributed here too, but for thousands of Haitians the Dominican Republic remains a country of longing.

Sometimes the border between the Dominican Republic and Haiti seems rather sleepy. But the impression is deceptive.

Image: AFP

Many Haitians are trying to get to the neighboring country. Last November there were dramatic scenes at the border.

Image: AP

They have to go back in the evening

Also for Gymps Maly, who, like many Haitians, works every Friday as a day laborer at the market in Dajabon, Dominican Republic. In the evening he has to go back to Haiti. He earns up to 400 Dominican pesos – about seven dollars – by lugging vegetable boxes.

That’s a lot less than the Dominicans get. Employers are taking advantage of Haitians’ plight, Gymps complains. “There are no jobs or hope in my home country. So they pay us badly, even though we work fast and hard.”

He doesn’t see any chance of getting a residence permit in the Dominican Republic. “Too complicated,” says Gymps. About half a million Haitians live in the Dominican Republic, many undocumented. You are currently living a life of fear.

They also shape the image of the market in the border town of Dajabon: migrants from neighboring Haiti.

Image: AFP

Tens of thousands are deported

Because the Dominican Republic is deporting massive amounts of Haitians, despite the humanitarian crisis in the country and despite the growing chaos after the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in the summer of 2021. This year alone it is said to have been 60,000 people.

Recently, this led to criticism, including from the United Nations. UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk called on the government to stop this practice given the violence and human rights violations in Haiti. At the same time, he called on the Dominican authorities to do more to combat xenophobia and discrimination based on national or ethnic origin.

Statements that didn’t go over well at all in the Dominican Republic. Dominican President Abinader explained that immigration policy is the sovereignty of the government. Gymps Maly, the Haitian day laborer, sees it this way: “A lot of Dominicans don’t respect us because we’re black. There’s a lot of racism.”

Retroactively revoked citizenship

In fact, migration has long been a hot topic between the neighbors. In the 20th century, the Dominican Republic recruited tens of thousands of Haitian harvest workers who stayed and raised families. For a long time, anyone born in the country gets citizenship.

That changed with a 2013 Constitutional Court ruling. Suddenly, all children of undocumented foreigners born in the country since 1929 were no longer retrospectively entitled to Dominican citizenship. In fact, tens of thousands of black people, almost all of Haitian descent, were affected.

International pressure meant that they were allowed to apply for Dominican citizenship. But these programs are very slow, criticizes William Charpentier, who helps Haitian migrants legalize their documents at the National Alliance for Migration and Refugees.

Charles (name changed) has taken a seat in his small office. He had been living legally in the Dominican Republic for years. But now he has been waiting for the renewal of his residence permit for seven months. The migration authority does not react. “If the police stop me, anything can happen,” says Charles.

Who creates the wealth

Charpentier criticizes that this is particularly bitter because the prosperity in the Dominican Republic is also being worked on by Haitians. In fact, an army of cheap Haitian workers is employed in construction, agriculture and tourism.

Some industries would collapse without Haitians, Charpentier reports. “In any case, it would be much more expensive if employers had to hire Dominicans. The Haitians do hard work here, they build bridges, hotels, roads. The least that the Dominican state would have to guarantee them is health care and education for their children. ”

As illegals, however, they have no access to this and can hardly defend themselves against exploitation. The construction of the wall is just a symbol: “A wall always implies that one side feels superior. A wall divides people,” says Charpentier.

So far, however, the Dominican government has made no move to reconsider its policy. The Dominican Republic, as a neighboring country, is suffering the most from the crisis in Haiti and offers more support to Haitians than other countries, the government said. She also announced that she would continue with the deportation practice.

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