dominican - Haiti Observer Blog

After years of conducting uncoordinated politic toward the Dominican Republic; after so many years of Master/ servant relationship between the two countries, I am feeling a little bit hopeful with this decision of the Haitian government to put restriction on 23 Dominican-made products in direction to Haiti. This marks a turn in decades of allowing the Dominican Republic to export everything they want to us with any restriction.

Haiti accounts for $1 billion annually of Dominican imports. I want to make an important correction in that figure; this is an official number which does not take into account the illegal trades. In addition, Haitians currently studying in the neighboring country also contribute largely to the Dominican economy.

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It is clear that the Dominican authorities did not take the recent decision of the Haitian authorities to ban 23 Dominican products from from the road, with grace and resignation. Having an understanding of what the decision will likely do their economy, Industry and Commerce minister of the Dominican Republic, Jose del Castillo, already sees room for talk with the Haitian government in order to come to an understanding regarding the ban.

Jose del Castillo said the Haitian government needs to analyze the possibility of withdrawing the measure which will affect not only Dominican industry, but also Haitian merchants and transporters. He estimated that having the products transported by sea or air as suggested by the Haitian authorities suggested would raise costs.

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The Haitian government has decided to put restrictions on some Dominican products. In another word, for the sake of better control of its border, Haiti´s Economy and Finance Ministry just submitted a lost of Dominican products that can only arrive in Haiti by either sea or air.

The ban which took effect on Wednesday (9/16/15) includes the following products: wheat flour, cooking oil, soap, detergent, foam packaging, water, pasta, household utensils ( plastics), cookies, bodywork products, butter, shortening, powder juice, soft drinks, beer, snacks, milled corn. Also cement, auto paint, rebar for construction, , PVC pipes, , mattresses and heavy construction equipment (even rentals).

The Ministry warned the public that in case of violation of this new regulation, these named products will be confiscated by the General Administration of Customs.

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Organization of American States (OAS) issued a report, stating policies and practices implemented by the Dominican Republic (DR), under immigration reform, have risked rendering people stateless, as well as initiating a humanitarian crisis at the DR / Haiti border. OAS activists organized at the OAS building, then walked the half mile to the White House gates. There they protested loudly, carrying placards and demanding rights for everyone in the DR. Obama as yet to make a public statement on the issue. The U.S.'s gesture has been to send humanitarian aid to those in refugee camps on the border.

The international community has been vociferous in its denunciation of DR denationalization policies, pleading with them to carry out deportations humanely. Why the U.S. has not definitively expressed its opposition to the harsh immigration policy is perplexing. Rights 4 All in DR's, France Francois, thinks it sly Obama would fly to Africa to discuss human rights but ignore the ". . . human rights crisis . . . taking place right in our backyard." So far over 40,000 Haitians and Dominican-Haitians have deported themselves in fear of inhumane treatment. The majority of them are camped along the border.

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A Haitian man living in the Dominican Republic was found stabbed to death near the city of Hatillo Palma along the side of the road

Police has been investigating this death to determine if it is related to a protest taking place earlier in that same location against Haitian migrants in the area. Dominicans had been protesting an alleged rape to a local woman for which the demonstrators accused three Haitian migrants for.

According to Dominican Police, six people had been detained for questioning about the death of the Haitian immigrant

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DR Says no more Supplies to Haiti until Driver Safety Guaranteed. A fleet of 60 vans, owned by Federacion Nacional de Transporte Dominicano, were ambushed in Jimani by Haitians wielding machetes and guns. They ransacked the vehicles, taking construction items and personal goods. Damage to vans came to 100 million-plus pesos.

Drivers were injured, some taken to Jimani hospital. Fenatrado President Peralta said no more vans will enter Haiti until Haitian and Dominican governments settle the cross-border conflict and guarantee Fenatrado drivers' safety.

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Ma to Initiate Conflict Resolution Talks between DR and Haiti. President Ma Ying-jeou, a strong ally of both the Dominican Republic (DR) and Haiti, has offered to act as a negotiator in the conflict surrounding the immigration issue between the two Caribbean nations, who share the island of Hispaniola.

Ma wants to help the DR and Haiti reach a resolution regarding Haitian migrants in the DR and their descendants being forced out of the country due to a Constitutional Court ruling that considers the undocumented aliens transients. Furthermore, their descendants born in the DR have lost their automatic birthright. The backlash from the international community has placed the DR on the defensive. Denying the planned mass deportations were a form of ethnic cleansing, it now says there will be no mass deportations.

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If you expected the technical mission of the Organization of American States (OAS) to come hard on the Dominicans for the way in which they treat our Haitian brothers or Dominicans of Haitian descent, you will not be happy with their recommendations. More dialogues it is.

As you may know, a technical mission of the OAS was formed to look into the current immigration problem between the Dominican Republic and Haiti. After visiting both countries and talking to officials as well as some of the victims of the massive deportation at the border, the team concluded that the only solution to the matter is more dialogue between Haiti and the Dominican republic.

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Is Haiti practicing the words of the Bible literally in the ongoing crisis with the Dominican Republic? "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest". Haiti continues to remain true to itself by welcoming anyone who has problem in their own country. However, when do you say enough is enough?

Long ago, thousands of Haitians nationals crossed the border to seek work; many of them at the request of the Dominican Republic to go work in Batey. Like in any other countries, immigrants who usually come for work tend to stay by making the new land their own and also contribute much more to the society. The least that new country could offer them is a path to normalization and citizenship.

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Gabriel del Río, the President of the CASC (Autonomous Trade Union Confederation Class) has recently declared that the aloofness of the Haitian authority in providing identity documents to the irregular Haitian workers, necessary to enroll themselves in the National Plan for the Regularization of Foreigners (PNRE) in DR, is causing the biggest obstacle. Many Haitians living in the Dominican Republic did not have any document that would enable them to register. Those who went back to Haiti for procuring them, were returned mostly empty handed. Such situation creates opportunities for the counterfeiters and it is no wonder that many Haitians were found in possession of forged identity documents.

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