Haitian-Dominicans demand end to racial discrimination in deportations

Santo Domingo.- The Haitian-Dominicanorganization Reconoci.do on Thursday said recent developments following theDominican government´s repatriations of undocumented Haitians is cause for deepconcern.

“During this processthere have been cases where Dominican nationals have been arbitrarily detainedwhile presenting their identity documents, and taken to holding centers forimmigrants to be vetted in order to send them to Haiti,” the organization saidin an emailed statement.

It said in just one daythere were several cases of people accompanied by Reconoci.do where authoritieswere reluctant to accept identity documents. “That creates in us concern and weask the question, where they the only cases, or only those who are able todetect in time?”

The organization saidthere were three cases in the last two months including one with youngsters from La Roman that “constitute an modusoperandi perpetrated by the Dominican State as racial discrimination, sincethey were detained because of the color of their skin and the immigrationofficials´ phenotypic criteria that they ´look Haitian´ to question theirdocumentation as Dominicans and their regularized status.”

“There is apresumption of forgery of Dominicans documents by immigration officials or bythose who applied for naturalization against anyone who looks Haitian,"Reconoci.do said.