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immigration - Haiti Observer Blog

immigration, Haiti Observer Blog. Read the following articles about immigration


 

CARICOM wants Dominican Republic banned from PetroCaribe

The controversy over the Dominican Republic (DR) High Court ruling may cause DR natural-born citizens of Haitian descent to become stateless continues to raise ire in the international community.

Dr. Gonsalves, St. Vincent Prime Minister, wants the DR excluded from CARIFORUM. He has informed DR President Medina that Gonsalves has advised Venezuelan President Maduro to ban the DR's participation in PetroCaribe. Gonsalves added if the DR did not force the Court to rescind its ruling when the PetroCaribe Summit took place, he would put the issue on the agenda for discussion.

General La Rocque, Secretary of CARICOM, commented the ruling brings to the fore ". . . a serious question . . ." regarding the situation of natural-born citizens of Haitian descent. Gonsalves wrote Danilo the ruling was "unacceptable in any civilized community."

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Dominican Republic Ambassador Blames Haiti for Citizenship Irregularities

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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Dominican Republic Ruling Deprives Haitian Migrants of Citizenship

Haiti and the Dominican Republic (DR) have shared the island of Hispaniola for over 300 years. The relationship between them has been fraught by intermittent periods of violence and stress. Another cycle of conflict is beginning with the DR Constitutional Court's ruling migrated Haitians born on Dominican soil are no longer citizens, unless one of the parents is of Dominican ethnicity.

Haitians affected by the Dominican Republic Ruling include anyone born after 1929. This discriminates against Haitians brought to the DR to provide farm labor. The paradox created makes Haitian descendants of migrants, not only non-citizens of the DR, but also of Haiti.

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Will Haitians in Dominican Republic have to pronounce "Perejil" all over again?

The process of Identifying and classifying Haitian-Dominican or any Dominican with Haitian origin has began. Within the next 30 Days, this Identification is to take place.

"Mezanmi Nin pot Dominikin Ki Gin Tit Tankou: Ti Pye, Mezadie, Petit Frere, ....Pap Citwayen Peyi Sa Anko"

The Dominican Government announced yesterday (Wednesday, October 23, 2013) that they will comply with the Constitutional Court ruling which outlines a foreigner's pathway to Dominican citizenship

This position of the Dominican government to follow the Court ruling came after a meeting by president Danilo Medina who has noted the full respect of the independence of the branches of government and constitutional powers. In the Dominican Republic

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The Immigrant Lottery Program Biased against Haiti

The U.S. State Department runs a program begun in 1995, the Diversity Immigrant Visa (DIV) program. It operates the lottery yearly, handing out permanent resident visas to countries that have delivered less than 50,000 immigrants to the U.S. within a five-year period. Haiti is one of the ineligible countries, which has exceeded the limit since the inception of DIV.

If an individual is chosen in the lottery, more requirements must be met, including a high school diploma or GED, and completion of a two-year vocational program.

Haiti has several strikes against it to become eligible for the DIV program. Foremost is the government of Haiti (GOH), which does not cooperate with the international community to lift Haitians out of poverty. An astonishing 70% of the populace lives well below the poverty line, and 80% of the 10 million population is illiterate. What fuels the illiteracy rate is the lack of a free education system. The GOH has a $2 billion initiative to make free education a reality, but it is not a high priority.

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Martelly Appointee Absconds with $3 Million in Cash

Claude Raymond Jr., a Martelly appointee, was recently installed as Director General of the Office of Immigration and Emigration (OIE), along with eight other Director Generals in September. Martelly, speaking at the induction ceremony, issued a challenge to the new officials, saying they could only ". . . deserve his confidence . . . " by living up to what the Haitian people asked of them as public servants.

Claude Raymond Jr., succeeded in losing Martelly's confidence almost immediately. Not long after his installation, he was detained by Dominican Republic police with a $3 million dollar stash, concealed in an envelope. Someone in the OIE had secret information about the embezzlement, and reported it to the Senate. Senator François Anick ordered an inspection of all briefcases conducted, passing between the borders of Caribbean countries.

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Service of immigration and emigration, Haitian passport valid for 10 years ready, but not available

Thousands of hopeful Haitians await the issuance of their blue and silver embossed passports, to be granted to them by the Republic of Haiti. They have waited for two years to hear from President Michel Martelly that, while their passports are now ready, they have not yet been made available. So, it is with bated breath, vexation and anxiety that the applicants wait to hear how this extensive delay will affect their fees applicable.

According to the Director General of the immigration and emigration service, Claude Raymond Junior, what they await is the go-ahead from the Martelly Government, allowing them to begin issuing the passports.

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Biometrics in Canada Used for Haitian Entry into the Country

A new science called biometrics is changing the way governments verify a person's identity for entry into their country. This process is now in application for Haitian entering the country . It consists of taking fingerprints, facial characteristics, iris recognition, retina, and body scents with software applications, designed for such purposes.

Canada will begin checking biometric identities beginning September 4, 2013 each time a foreigner presents a visa or permit to stay in the country for a specified amount of time. Canada has a large number of the Haitian Diaspora living in the country--and more arriving every day--and they will be subject to biometric verification.

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Haiti to Work with Turks and Caicos Islands on Immigration Issue

Turk and Caicos Islands Governor Todd and Minister Gardiner of Border Control and Labor are producing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Haiti concerning illegal emigration from Haiti to TCI. The MOU will bullet-point directives to be used to fight it. Governor and President Martelly and members of their cabinets met to draft the MOU and come to an understanding about the seriousness of the issue.

Todd explained to Martelly TCI cannot handle the influx of illegal aliens from Haiti due to its small size and budget concerns. He got Martelly to apprehend the serious nature of illegal immigration to TCI, the risk of the ocean trip itself.

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Up To 50,000 Undocumented Haitian Living In Bahamas

Reports from the International Organization for Migration indicate that the numbers of undocumented Haitians residing in the Bahamas ranges from 20,000 to 50,000 yet only 5,000 Haitian are registered as migrant workers.

According to the report, approximately 13,000 family members depend and are sustained by these Haitian registered migrant workers.

The IOM's report quotes some statistics with respect to the children of the migrants that tends to bring a face of humanity to the most relatable notion deliberated on by the latest Constitutional Commission report in relation to the Bahamian citizenship right.

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