Citizens complain about Immigration operations against illegal foreigners in Santiago

Santiago – Recent operations by the Directorate General of Migration (DGM) in Santiago have generated dozens of complaints among employers and residents as the authorities reinforce their strategy of mass deportation of illegal immigrants.

To date, hundreds of Haitians have been detained, a situation that would be affecting several citizens who claim that both businesses and families depend on foreign labor.

In the sector of El Ingenio Abajo, a Haitian-national delivery man at a grocery store was arrested, and his motorcycle seized. Juan Minaya, the owner of the grocery store where he worked, went to the collection center for foreigners in an irregular situation to recover his vehicle.

“This is a robbery,” alleged Minaya, arguing that his motorcycle was completely legal and should be returned along with the merchandise and money that his employee had at the time of the arrest.

Similarly, Nancy, a nursery owner in Licey, expressed her anger after an immigration contingent took away the 20 Haitians who had been working with her since the early hours of Saturday.

“I don’t agree that they should take them all away. They should take away those who are not working, but those who are working honestly should stay. I don’t know how I am going to continue working,” he lamented.

Another affected person, Luis de los Santos, denounced that his vehicle, rented to a Haitian who worked as a driver on route M, was also seized. “I am the owner of the vehicle and my documents are up to date. I demand that it be returned to me,” he stated.

The operation seeks to deport 10,000 undocumented migrants weekly

The operation, announced by the government on October 2, is part of a comprehensive plan to deport up to 10,000 Haitians per week.

Preliminary national figures indicate that on Thursday alone, 1,242 Haitians were deported, while on Friday, the figure was 1,182. In Santiago, Friday’s operations left a balance of 510 detainees, although the exact number has not yet been revealed for this Saturday.

The Diario Libre team tried to contact a representative of the DGM at the collection center without success. A soldier indicated that the colonel in charge was in San Jose de las Matas and was not available for questions.

However, the communications department of the institution informed via telephone about the preliminary figures and confirmed that the operations will continue in the coming days.

The government plan includes, in addition to the massive repatriations, the increase of personnel at the borders, and the dismantling of human trafficking networks.

These measures were taken after President Luis Abinader’s recent speech to the UN General Assembly pointed out the limited results of the Kenya-led Multinational Haitian Police Support Mission.

The government has emphasized that it seeks to address the growing problem of irregular migration and guarantee the country’s security and stability.