Citizens of Haitian origin and their Rights in Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is at it again, and with a ring of permanency this time as their Constitutional Court has ruled, in a move that cannot be appealed, that children born of Haitian parents without legal status in their country cannot be considered Dominican Republic nationals.

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While claiming that the move is to provide these children with legal means of seeking their own, legitimate residency, the ruling has many humanitarians in the Dominican Republic and the United Nations up in arms about the implications of continued racism and the lack of human rights.

The decision has prompted the human rights office of the United Nations to plea to the country, closest neighbor to Haiti, to ascertain that, in their bid to 'unify' the country, they do not deprive people of Haitian heritage of their right to be Dominican Republic nationals.

The ruling stated that children born of migrants who arrived in the Dominican Republic as far back as 1929 cannot be considered for residency since their parents, who are undocumented, and thus, 'in transit', are not citizens. It is in keeping with the 2010 constitution that stated citizenship could only be given to those born on the soil with either one parent of Dominican blood, or foreign parents who are legal Dominican Republic residents.

The Haitian Ambassador to the Dominican Republic has been recalled to consult with Haitian officials on the matter. The officials of the Dominican Republic remain confident that the move will make the road to residency clear for children of immigrants from Haiti.

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