Abinader warns Armed Forces: letting undocumented pass ‘unacceptable’
President Luis Abinader, together with senior military officials, during his tour of the border. EXTERNAL
Dajabón, DR.- President Luis Abinader urged military personnel serving in the border area with Haiti to redouble their efforts and not allow any undocumented immigrants to enter the country by the laws and Constitution of the Republic.
“Allowing an undocumented immigrant to enter the country at this time is totally unacceptable, and you must guard our border with the utmost vigilance,” the head of state told members of the Dominican Army at the General Francisco A. Salcedo Fortress in the province of Dajabón.
The president asked the Armed Forces members to redouble their efforts to keep the border “secure and fortified,” stating that “today, the homeland demands more than ever that you fulfill your duty, as you have done in the past.”
“I congratulate you, but at the same time I ask you to double your efforts. Protecting the border from the situation in the Republic of Haiti is a matter of national security, and we trust you, and knowing this situation, you will double your efforts and supervision,” said the president.
He reiterated that no illegal immigrants can pass ” s provided for by our laws and our Constitution. This government supports you and will continue to support you so that you can fulfill your mission.”The president toured the border provinces yesterday after a series of measures to strengthen immigration control were announced. Defense Minister Carlo—-*s Antonio Fernández Onofre and Army Commander General Iván Camino Pérez accompanied Abinader.
Response to Amnesty International
Abinader responded to the statement by Amnesty International, which called on his government to repeal the immigration measure affecting Haitians who go to hospitals.
“To Amnesty International, I respond that they should go work in Haiti and address the human rights situation in Haiti. They should not abandon Haiti, and the international community should do the same. It is our responsibility to defend the Dominican Republic,” he said when interviewed by journalists during the tour.
President Luis Abinader also supervised the construction of the border wall. (EXTERNAL)
After supervising the border wall, the president went to Elías Piña and Jimaní, where he congratulated the military for safeguarding the border and urged them to continue carrying out this fundamental task for the Dominican Republic.
” Protecting the border with the Republic of Haiti is a matter of national security, and we trust you, knowing that in this situation, you will redouble your efforts and supervision,” the president told the military personnel in formation.
In each of these locations, the head of state thanked the soldiers for their great work on behalf of the country, as they are the “yes and arms” in supervising and defending the border.
The head of state ended his tour in Pedernales, where he visited several hotels in Cabo Rojo. There, he said that the immigration measures would ensure the continued development of sectors such as tourism, which boosts economic activity and is being promoted in the area, which already has a cruise port and hotels under construction.
He also visited the construction site of the first hotel to be built in the province, with 580 rooms, which will be operated by the Iberostar chain. The tourist complex is located very close to the cruise port.