ARTICLE - D.R. IMMIGRATION BOWS TO PRESSURE

IMMIGRATION BOWS TO PRESSURE, RULES ON MIGRANT LABOR "RELAXED"
(Dominican Today) -

Santo Domingo - Bowing to pressure from several economic sectors via the Dominican Agribusiness Board (JAD), the Immigration Agency said it would “relax” the requirements to implement the Regulations in the new Migration Act, which took effect June 1.

JAD executive vice president Osmar Benitez on Sunday said many of the requirements to regularize Haitian foreigners may not apply to those who’re living in the country.

Business and labor groups and Haitian migrants rights’ organizations have questioned the regulation, given the importance of foreign workers for national production.

For business leaders, the regulation poses unsustainable costs.

Benitez estimates the cost to regularize one Haitian as high as RD$40,000, which he calls "unbearable."

He said nonetheless that JAD has been in contact with Immigration Director José Ricardo Taveras, whom he affirms agreed to rescind the insurance requirement for Haitian workers who’re residing in the country.

He said they also discussed the Foreign Ministry to reduce costs for work visas and with other agencies, for several types of documents for those immigrants who’ve spent years in country, will be issued by the Dominican government, not Haiti, as stipulated in the Regulations.

"It’s very difficult for a person with 10 years living here, go to Haiti to seek a good conduct paper or a medical certificate, because they’re no longer known there, there’s more information here," he said.