The general director of MigrationVice Admiral Luis Rafael Lee Ballester, stated this Monday that the interdiction and repatriation of haitians It has been implemented in strict compliance with the norms of international law and current democratic procedural law. In addition, he assured that during the entire process no Dominican has been deported to Haiti.
In an interview during his visit to Free DiaryLee Ballester explained that, to improve the conditions of the transfer of returnees, he has ordered to reduce the number of people transported in each vehicle.
“We are in a process to provide more resources to the teams of interdictionincluding the acquisition of vehicles additional. We are also evaluating new transportation options to improve the transfer of people who will be repatriated,” he said. During the last week, the number of Haitians prosecuted rose to 7,927.
The vice admiral highlighted the collaboration of the Directorate of Migration with the Army of the Dominican Republic, the Specialized Corps for Land Border Security (Cesfront) and other institutions. The strategy is based on two main axes: the containment of migratory groups from the border and interdiction in urban areas.
Border and binational markets
Lee Ballester recalled that the Dominican Republic and Haiti share an area border 53 kilometers of international highway. However, he pointed out that one of the recurring problems in that area is the uncontrolled flow of haitians in the markets binational.
“It is illogical that a country with a system of immigration control allows binational markets to operate without restrictions, complicating border control. We propose that those markets are located in sterile areas, with restricted areas and access control from both Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Furthermore, people who leave the market towards Dominican territory must undergo control immigration,” he commented.
Collection and repatriation centers
When asked about the capacity of holding centers, such as HainaLee Ballester explained that the rotation of foreigners It depends on the availability of vehicles for repatriations. “Interdiction operations are one thing, and repatriations another. We have collection centers in Santiago and Haina, from where they leave daily vehicles to carry out the repatriations“he explained.
The official highlighted that the detainees go through a validation process using biometrics. “There is no evidence that any Dominicans have been deported to Haiti during my administration,” he reiterated.
Regularization Plan
About the haitians enrolled in the Plan Regularization who have not renewed their documents, the director of Immigration assured that, if they comply with the legal requirements, they will be granted the corresponding permit.
“We are evaluating case by case, and those who comply with the legal procedures will be granted permission”Director of Immigration
He also indicated that meetings have been held with the Administrative Minister of the Presidency, as well as with the Ministers of Labor and Defense, to address this issue.
Criticisms of the plan deportations
Earlier this month, the Dominican government implemented an operation to repatriate up to 10,000 haitians per week. This measure has been described as discriminatory by the Haitian government.
The chancellor Haitian citizen, Dominique Dupuy, has denounced the deportations in several international forums, arguing that they violate the human rights. Dupuy met with representatives of Human Rights Watch, the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, and with officials from the United States Department of State.
“The brutality of the raids and deportations what we witness is an affront to human dignity. The immigration policyof the Dominican Government contravenes international standards of human rights and respect for human dignity,” Dupuy wrote on his X account last week.
