Dominican Court Ruling - Haiti Observer Blog

The Dominican Republic (DR) Constitutional Court's (CC) ruling, denying citizenship rights to Haitian-Dominican citizens is coming from one government official in the Caribbean region. But the anger is not directed so much at the DR as it is at CARICOM, a regional body advancing and protecting Caribbean nations' interests. Dr. Timothy Harris, an MP representing St. Kitts and Nevis, charges CARICOM with dragging its feet on the ultimate effect of denying citizenship status to descendents of Haitian migrants, deportation.

Although CARICOM is reluctantly taking a position on the matter , that's not good enough for Harris, who claims, "CARICOM is losing its vitality . . . (in) "matters of governance" . . . (and) "is being undermined . . ." Harris adds ex-Jamaican Prime Minister, PJ Patterson, had to apply pressure to get CARICOM to respond to the issue.

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I have decided to no longer take certain things for granted. For example, I have been living in the United States of America for many years. But once in a while, I will get these racist jokes in the streets like: "Go Home". Some of the people I meet, once they detect that I have an accent, they usually want to know if I am "Haitian", "Jamaican", "African", etc...

Regardless of all the economic, political, social difficulties, I am always proud to say that "I Am Haitian". To show that they know something about Haiti, my country, many would respond "Sak Passe","Map Boule".

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The Dominican Republic's (DR) Constitutional Court ruling descendents of illegal immigrants are not entitled to citizenship status has created an outcry among the international community (IC). Fears of mass deportations--as a result of the ruling--have led observers to declare many thousands of deportees will become stateless. They believe re-patriated Haitians will face obstacles negotiating Haiti's requirements for citizenship.

Suggestions the DR is engaging in ethnic cleansing have provoked a rebuttal from the Haitian Ambassador to the U.S., Anibal De Castro. She states the High Court ruling does not set precedence, only a reaffirmation of a ruling in 2005, which was amended in the 2010 Constitution. She adds the DR has every legal right to regulate immigration and develop transparent policies for obtaining citizenship.

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