Migrant rights entity lauds Dominican Gov’s immigrant program

Santo Domingo- International Organization for Migration (IOM) representative in the country Cy Winter on Thursday lauded the government’s program to legalize undocumented foreigners, whose deadline to apply expired on Wednesday

Winter however said it’s of critical important that migrant workers have access to social security because, "if you don’t have a regular job status you cannot have legal immigration status."

"We must settle the issue of access to social security for the Haitian worker," Winter told reporters in the National Palace, where he’s slated to meet president Danilo Medina on Friday.

He said he was "very pleased" with the program’s results and in the name of his organization thanked the Dominican government for having managed to register 275,000 immigrants, or 75,000 people more than expected.

Winter said the OIM will continue to accompany the immigrants in the process, but noted the need to train the staff that will identify the documents issued by the program.

The IOM representative was accompanied by Interior and Police minister Jose Ramon Fadul in the press conference.