Issue of Haitian migrants poses a risk for the country

Santo Domingo.- Behind the reported jump in Haitian immigration is an effort to create a climate of animosity that poses a risk for the Dominican Republic,  Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (Flacso) director Ivan Ogando warned Monday.

The economic policy expert warned that the situation could have negative consequences for the Dominican Republic. “The phenomenon of undocumented immigration has been a serious problem and measures should be expanded to reduce it to a minimum in the established legal framework and with respect for human rights.”

He said it’s striking that in recent days has been a unique attention to the issue of increasing undocumented immigration in various media, along with an avalanche of digital messages and social networks denouncing alleged acts of aggression by immigrants.

“I do not have the elements to determine whether illegal immigration has come down or has risen across the border, but I see no reason across the border that may be causing a disproportionate increase in a phenomenon that has been taking place in recent decades,” said Ogando.