Regularize or leave, top official warns illegal foreigners

Santo Domingo.- Interior and Police minister José Ramón Fadul warned Thursday that foreigners residing illegally must leave the country if they fail to register for the Regularization Plan by June 1.

He said all undocumented foreigners must adhere to Dominican Republic’s immigration laws. "There are 18 immigration categories, so we’ll open the regularisation plan that will be more positive and transparent to gain the people’s confidence and go to the places to register in the plan and regularize their status."

Fadul said the idea is to fulfill all procedures and work in coordination with the churches, neighborhood groups and social organizations, “so that no one is abused.”

"Those who fail to submit to the Regularisation Plan will be illegal and must return to their country, that’s elementary. I ask what country in the world allows the illegal to stay," he said.

He denied that international organizations and pro Haiti sectors press the Government. “Nobody pressures President Medina, as he said in his speech during CELAC in Havana, neither big nor small, we’re a sovereign country."