Haitians: “This has gotten very ugly”

Each day that passes, the state of despair and uncertainty worsens; it has gripped the most suffering Haitian population with intense insecurity, kidnappings, lack of fuel and food, medicines, and other problems that have made them look at the Dominican side of the island, where they are heading, entering Dominican territory illegally.

However, members of the Dominican Army and the Specialized Corps for Land Border Security (Cesfront) work tirelessly to prevent the massive entry of citizens from the neighboring country.

Military at the service of the Army’s fourth brigade, based in Mao, led by Colonel German Rosario Pérez, carry out continuous operations in mountains, roads, abandoned houses, buildings, and other places, to capture undocumented Haitians who have crossed the northern borderline clandestinely.

Due to the continuous military operations, many of those who are already located somewhere in the territory, having circumvented border controls or forced their way through the “gaps” in the extensive boundary line, have chosen to remain in their shelters and others who work in different areas of the economy say they do it “on the lookout” because the military and immigration inspectors chase them everywhere.

“I don’t want to get caught.”
“This has gotten really ugly; all those who do not have papers are being arrested and returned to my country, I do not want to be caught, because I do not want to return to my land, because things have become very difficult,” proclaimed Paul Pierre, a Haitian who works in an agricultural farm in the Jobo Corcobado community, in the Castañuelas municipality, in the Montecristi province.

For three months, soldiers from the Army’s fourth brigade, based in Mao, have apprehended and handed over to migration at least 14,000 illegal Haitians for repatriation purposes.

They will enter again.
Upon being purged and returned, many said they would seek a way to return to Dominican territory, claiming that their country “has become a difficult territory to live in, due to insecurity, the increase in kidnappings, the lack of fuels, food, unemployment and other evils.”

However, Haitians enter Dajabón every day to buy essential products and fuel that are in short supply in their country, but then with the support of soldiers, they return to Haiti.

At the gas stations of Dajabón and other border towns, the lines of Haitians and Dominicans seeking to stock up on fuel are long, journalists from Listín Diario confirmed.

Differences
Legal and illegal migration
Uncertain figure.
In the Dominican Republic, the actual number of illegal Haitians has not been determined with exactitude.

Legal or regular migration refers to people who enter or stay in a country of which they are not citizens through legal channels. It is the situation of people in a country whose status is not following national requirements.”