Dominican Republic deports 251 mostly Haitian foreigners

Santo Domingo.- As ofFriday afternoon the Immigration Agency had deported 251 aliens who didn’t registerfor the Dominican government program to regularize the overwhelmingly Haitian foreigners.

Outlet Caribe reportsthat the paperwork to deport an undocumented immigrant takes a few hours tocomplete during a work schedule from 8am to 5pm.

Immigration spokeswomanLeyla Mejia said most of the 251 deported are Haitians, who left the country the same day they were detained,and that very few have slept in the shelters set up for that purpose.

She said the Haitiannationals have been returned to their country through the Jimani (west) andDajabon (northwest) border crossings, “without any objection from the governmentof Haiti thus far.”

Foreigners repatriated

While most returnees are,the official said the immigration policy also applies to citizens of othernations.

Local media reportthat in addition to the Haitians, seven Cubans, one Nigerian, one Bolivian, oneGerman and a Thai national are also being held in the detention center in Haina(south), where citizens from Colombia and other South American countries havebeen deported just days ago.

“If one of theseforeigners have pending court cases it will be communicated to the relevantauthorities, while those who figure in the regularization process are handedover to relatives,” Immigration Control director Rafael Vasquez was quoted assaying. “In the case of Haitians they are brought to the handover pointslocated in Dajabón and Jimaní.”