Santo Domingo.- Lawmakers from multiple political parties in the Dominican Republic have strongly rejected an article published by Vatican News, the official media outlet of the Holy See, which accuses the country of committing “barbaric acts” against Haitian migrants.
The legislators called on the Dominican Foreign Ministry to request a formal explanation from both the Vatican and the Dominican Episcopal Conference. They expressed concern over the article’s serious allegations, which they believe misrepresent the country’s immigration policies and practices.
The Vatican News article claims that Dominican authorities have intensified immigration controls, allegedly forcing pregnant Haitian women to give birth at home, and accuses officials of torturing detainees, denying them food and water, and allowing deaths to occur in detention centers.