Agenzia Fides

Santo Domingo (Agenzia Fides) - Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez, Archbishop of Santo Domingo, said that "no foreign country can come to the Dominican Republic to impose its rules on immigration" and called on local organizations to exercise greater transparency concerning the situation of Haitians in the nation.
The Cardinal wanted to respond to the complaints on behalf of the Haitian Pastoral, according to which the Dominican government refuses to give the documents to immigrants who have been in the country for more than 12 years and also work permits to those who work in the territory. Haitian migration in the Dominican Republic has become a huge and very complex problem.
"The nation spent years in discussions and talks on the issue of Haitian migration, but now the pressure and the interference of foreign countries and groups concerned about their interests increases," the Archbishop of Santo Domingo told the local press,.
In the note sent to Fides Agency says that the Cardinal pointed out that the situation of illegal Haitians in the country must be resolved urgently: "fair and humanitarian solutions need to be found ... I do not know how, perhaps with an amnesty or delivering the documents to the workers and employees, as suggested by some employers, but this situation has to become regular." According to data collected by Fides Agency, the largest group of "undocumented Haitians " work in agricultural areas and in the building field as laborers, and a large group is also engaged in trade, without a contract. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 25/6/2012)