The Dominican Bar Association (CARD) has accused civil, military, and business authorities of colluding in the massive substitution of undocumented Haitian workers in the agricultural and construction sectors. According to the union’s president, Miguel Surun Hernández, this complicity constitutes “illegal migrant smuggling, punishable by up to 20 years in prison under Law 137-03 on Illicit Smuggling of Migrants and Human Trafficking.”
“With all of this, the only goal is to favor businessmen who employ up to 80% of undocumented labor, with the passive complicity of Immigration, the Ministry of Labor, and the Department of Labor,” Hernández said. Article 135 of Law 16-92, as well as articles 135, 144, 423, 424, 433, and 434 of the Labor Code, as well as articles 69, 101 through 108, and 121 of Law 285-04, of Migration, prohibit and penalize not only the hiring of undocumented foreigners but also profiting from the crime of human trafficking, according to the lawyer.
He cited the example of agricultural and construction companies that engage in this practice to the detriment of local labor while operating under the auspices of civil and military authorities for the benefit of businessmen, which could result in countries being sanctioned.