We’ll be “watchful” over Dominican Republic, UN warns

Geneva.- The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay on Friday praised the approval of the law which makes it easier to obtain the Dominican nationality but, warned the country that it will be “watchful” as to what “happens next,” EFE reports.

It notes that the norm should also include those who weren’t registered at birth.

"We welcome the norm. We believe that it’s an important effort to grant nationality to those who were affected by the Constitutional Court from of September 2013,” said Pillay’s spokeswoman Cécile Pouilly in a press conference.

"However – she said – we regret that the norm does not include those who were not registered at birth, and whom which believe that they are the vast majority of those affected," Pouilly said, adding that they expect that the process doesn’t end here and is "transparent."

She announced that Pillay’s Office would be "watchful" of what happens next.

The Dominican Senate on Wednesday passed the bill that establishes a special path for people born in the country irregularly registered in the civil registry and on naturalization, which affects mostly tens of thousands of undocumented Haitians.

President Danilo Medina is expected to sign the bill into law at any moment.