Organizations rally outside National Palace for recognition of nationality for Dominicans of Haitian descent

Santo Domingo.- Several Dominican social and human rights organizations held a civic rally in front of the National Palace on Tuesday, calling on the government to provide a definitive solution to nationality and documentation cases linked to Constitutional Court Ruling 168-13.

The demonstration was held under the slogan “For the Full Recognition of Nationality and the End of Statelessness”, ahead of the 13th anniversary of the ruling issued on September 23, 2013.

Participating organizations included the Dominican-Haitian Women’s Movement (MUDHA), Ciudad Alternativa, RECORPODET, the National Popular Coordinator (CPN), ASOMUJJO, Human Code Foundation, Jesuit Service with Migrants Dominican Republic, the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH), Mamá Tingó Sociopolitical Women, the Dominican-Haitian Migrant Community Association, CEDUCA and the Socialist Workers’ Movement (MST).

The groups argued that people born in the Dominican Republic, particularly Dominicans of Haitian descent, continue to face difficulties obtaining, renewing or using identity documents, including in cases where they were previously registered in the Civil Registry and had received Dominican documentation.

According to the organizations, the 2013 ruling retroactively affected the nationality status of more than 200,000 people of Haitian descent, leaving some without recognized nationality. They called for the resolution of outstanding cases and questioned the differentiated treatment established under Law 169-14, which classified affected individuals into Group A and Group B.

The organizations said documentation problems can have consequences beyond administrative procedures, potentially affecting access to education, formal employment, civil procedures and the registration of children. They also demanded an end to what they described as racial profiling of Dominicans of Haitian descent, arguing that skin color, physical characteristics, surnames or family ancestry should not be used to determine a person’s nationality.

The movement further called for authorities to verify a person’s identity and nationality before taking measures that could result in expulsion. Representatives also alleged that some Dominicans of Haitian descent had been questioned or detained by immigration agents while seeking medical care and subsequently expelled. These allegations were presented by the organizations during the rally and were not described as findings from an official investigation.