Vice Minister reveals Haitian shelter plan

Santo Domingo.- Dr. Juan Manuel Rosario, Vice Minister of Migration Management and Naturalization at the Ministry of the Interior and Police, revealed that international organizations intended to establish Haitian refugee camps on the Dominican border. This plan also involved the Dominican Republic taking responsibility for unaccompanied children and elderly Haitians, providing them with documentation and healthcare.

In an interview on “Esferas de Poder” with journalist Federico Méndez on RNN Channel 27, Rosario disclosed that these discussions took place secretly during the previous administration at the National Institute of Migration. The details of this plan are outlined in a document known as “the contingency,” obtained by the Ministry of the Interior and Police.

“This was discussed behind the backs of the Dominican people, in a secret manner, and many sectors of the country participated, including those in charge of protecting the Dominican Republic,” Rosario stated. He mentioned that the International Organization for Migration and other institutions were involved in planning the entry route for undocumented Haitians through border towns such as Dajabón.

Rosario explained that the goal was to establish necessary structures to receive refugees in case of a conflict in Haiti. He also noted that a foreign agency sought the identity of the person who leaked the document.

Rosario criticized the interpretation of international organizations and NGOs regarding Law 169-14, which outlines the requirements for children of illegal foreigners in the Dominican Republic to obtain nationality through naturalization, emphasizing that nationality is not granted automatically. “International organizations understand that everyone who registered in accordance with Law 169 is automatically entitled to Dominican nationality, and that is not the case,” he said.

He stressed that the previous administration resisted international pressure for the Dominican Republic to assume responsibility for unaccompanied children and elderly Haitians. “They wanted us to take responsibility for the unaccompanied children. I said: no, we have to create a mechanism to track where the parents are and deliver them to their parents, and track who is trafficking these children on the Dominican streets,” Rosario emphasized.

The vice minister also revealed that the country was expected to provide insurance and social protection for elderly Haitians. He stated that representatives from the UN, UNHCR, UNICEF, and other entities were part of the discussions.

Rosario accused international organizations of influencing public administration and attempting to isolate individuals who defend their national sovereignty. “They have done everything possible to ban me from public life in particular,” he asserted, highlighting the tendency to marginalize those who defend national interests.

Finally, Rosario insisted that any decisions of this magnitude should be made through a referendum, considering their impact on national sovereignty. “The problems raised by the Haitian issue cannot be discussed behind the backs of the Dominican people. It has to be with the meridian clarity that is required and the Dominican people must decide,” he concluded.