The International Distortion of the Dominican Dilemma

In recent weeks we have heard a lot in the news about the growing tensions between the two peoples of the island of Hispaniola, the Haitians and Dominicans. Much of the American and world press cry out about imminent mass deportation and even possible genocide, invoking the horrors of the Parsley Massacre anew. Democracy Now! points to the ethnic purging of the republic that is supposedly occurring now and Pacifica Radio, through its affiliate Uprisingradio.org, discuss the impending mass deportation and its dire implications for Haitians across the island. Fox News, ABC, NBC, MSNBC, CBS, The Nation, USAToday, and all the other major news outlets are decrying the same thing

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There's only one problem with this mass hysteria generated by all this gloom and doom that is crashing down on the Haitians as I write this. Little of it is actually happening! This is, for the most part, made up fantasy by the American press to generate a story out of thin air. Though this is not of whole cloth, there is some truth to what is written, the cries of impending doom, mass genocide and ethnic cleansing not only aren't occurring, they can't! For anyone who sits down to logically think about the situation that is actually taking place on the island of Hispaniola, none of these atrocities could actually occur, especially now under the watchful eye of millions of Facebook followers and social media trenders on the island and elsewhere.

Let's look at the supposed atrocities one by one to explain the absurdity of each, shall we?

Genocide! Really?? First coined by Polish-born U.S. jurist Raphael Lemkin in 1944 to discuss the Nazi extermination of certain people in Europe, it means "the deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political, or cultural group." There are over 10 million people living in Haiti and 2 million people in the Dominican Republic of Haitian descent or recent transplants. Even eliminating only those in the diaspora would take 2,000 days, or 6 years of killing an average of 1,000 per day, every day, including weekends and holidays. For 6 years. Nonstop. Everyday. Clearly there are no rivers of blood freeflowing anywhere on the island. The numbers killed by either side over the past few years don't appear to be above normal levels for any time frame.

Ethnic cleansing. Seriously? Both cultures have lived side by side for over three centuries and have intermingled blood and families since time immemorial. The original, "pure" race of the island, the Caribs, died out within 50 years of Columbus setting foot there. Everyone else is a descendant of a transplant from either Europe, Africa or both. There is a definite distinction between the more African influenced Haitian culture and the more European influenced Dominican culture, but it would be impossible for either one to even attempt to remove the other from the island. Neither ethnicity is going anywhere anytime soon. There are absolutely no reports anywhere of any ethnic cleansing, yet the international press refuses to give up this canard.

US Envoy to the island, US ambassador James W. Brewster, recently stated Sunday, July 5, "The international media have published reports that have been unfair to the country, regarding the government's program to legalize undocumented aliens. I know there are reports that have not been fair, but we have to continue working with those who tell the truth. You cannot give up when you are trying to do the right thing no matter what people say." Yet, reports in the US to print this truth is being actively suppressed everywhere.

Mass deportation? And just how is THAT supposed to work? If you go four hours in any direction from anywhere on the island, you'll be swimming in shark-infested waters up to your eyeballs. Just where are these people supposed to be "mass deported" to? There are no electrically-charged wire fences; giant, imposing steel walls with barbed wire toppings; nor any other barrier along the border between the two countries to keep the Haitians out. Anyone who is sent from the Dominican Republic to Haiti can return to their place of departure within 6 hours.

Does anyone bother to ask what Haiti's plan of repatriation for all these "deported masses" will be? They've given it to the world, but the international press refuses to print it. Well, here it is. In an extraordinary session of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) held yesterday, 8 July 2015, the Haitian Foreign Minister Lener Renaud pressed several countries to support his complaints concerning the Dominican migratory policy. Renaud energetically protested the voluntary return of Haitians to Haiti at the expiration of the National Foreigner Legalization Plan. "We will not accept Dominicans citizens in our territory. Haitians returning to their own land will be accepted but only with a protocol that we agree to," he stated. The operated words here are "voluntary," as in "not mandatory," and "protocol," as in, "proper procedure." The Haitians will not accept "mass deportations" on their territory, regardless of the international press's refusal to write about it.

And the cost of such an endeavor would be beyond prohibitive. There is no incentive for Dominicans to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to transport hundreds of thousands of people to a border where they would stay for up to a nanosecond before returning to their original spot of departure. Dominicans aren't stupid, but this fact does make for good "yellow journalistic copy" for an American populace that hasn't a clue how things work in the real world.

It's true that there are a lot of tensions between the two groups right now and the recent legal interpretations of old laws coupled with a set of hastily assembled new laws in the Dominican Republic haven't helped ease them at all. But let's review reality, if only for a while, as to what is really going on there.

The Dominican Republic needs Haitians. Much as Americans are addicted to the cheap Mexican labor from south of our border, the Dominicans have a similar demand for the cheapness of labor from their eastern neighbor. As Samantha Garcia's study from the Observatorio Poltico Dominicano (OPD) amply shows, over half of Haitians have historically entered the DR looking for work. This relationship has worked perfectly for over 100 years and will continue into the future.

Mobile Migration Agency units are visiting farms to renew seasonal worker permits to farm workers. The work permits are required so that foreigners can legally work on farms. The government technicians are taking biometric fingerprints of each immigrant farm laborer, most of whom do not have legal identification. Migration director Major General Ruben Paulino Sem says the foreign farm workers hired by Dominican companies will be allowed to continue in their jobs. The measure broadens the free services offered by the Dominican government in its effort to normalize the situation of illegal immigration in the country, while not affecting production activities. In other words, no hired worker will lose his or her job regardless of their document status. The international press remains silent on this issue.

And just who were the first to help the Haitians during their awful, calamitous confrontation with Mother Nature in 2010, aka the 7.0 earthquake? In July of that year, President Obama told President Leonel Fernandez after their Oval Office meeting , "One of the first messages I wanted to deliver was my appreciation for the role that the Dominican Republic played in helping the international community respond to the crisis in Haiti after the devastating earthquake there." Its role "in helping to facilitate a rapid response was extraordinarily important," Obama said. "It saved lives. And it continues as we look at how we can reconstruct and rebuild in Haiti in a way that is good, not only for the people of Haiti but also good for the region as a whole." Does this sound like a people hell-bent on genocide?

Ever hear of the University of Roi Henri Christophe in Limonade, Haiti? It was built in 2012 by the Dominican government for Haiti at a cost of over $30 million. It was a direct gift of the Dominican people to their Haitian brethren to increase the studies and knowledge for a new generation of Haitians so they can become scientists, researchers, and academicians according to Dominican President Leonel Fernandez. Clearly the Dominicans have done more than their fair share to support their island comrades in times of need while keeping a keen eye to the future and the betterment for all.

So what about this great concern of loss of citizenship that is at that heart of the current crisis on the island? Isn't this tantamount to turning 500,000 former citizens into stateless humans left to be tossed to the side with no rights and no legal recourse? Isn't this the crux of the issue at hand?

First, citizenship is not guaranteed to someone just by place of birth. The term is jus soli and not every country recognizes it. India has had such a problem with Bangladesh immigration that they've banned it entirely. France has vacillated over the years, sometimes allowing citizenship to all, sometimes picking and choosing. Every country chooses its own interpretation of jus soli and reserves the right to change that interpretation should the need arise.

Second, not everyone in the Dominican Republic receives a birth certificate upon birth. Many areas are still without the means to offer such a form and many times there isn't enough documentation available for proper identification of the newborn. This has improved dramatically over the years, but continues to persist, especially in rural regions. With no proper documentation to demonstrate one's identity or origin, it becomes extremely difficult to bring closure to one's case. Most cases could drag on for years and many will never be properly resolved.

As was properly stated by the DR's government, Verges, the Dominican Ambassador to the Organization of American States said that contrary to statements by Renaud to the Permanent Council of the OAS yesterday, 9 July 2015, the Dominican Republic has not deported any Haitians since 2013, nor has violence been exercised against them. He stressed what there has been a voluntary return of Haitians to their country. He said that measures contained in the Naturalization Law 169-14 remove the possibility of classifying as stateless persons living in the Dominican Republic.

He said the Dominican government will not agree to a deportation protocol sought by the Haitian government that would grant widespread amnesty for Haitians residing illegally in the country to remain here with legal status. Verges reminded the officials that no other OAS state negotiates the terms of its migratory laws, as it is a sovereign right. 

Third, it is important, once again, to remember that this is not a brand new event that never existed in the past. Though we have come a long way from the days that a person would be asked to pronounce "perejil" (parsley) to detect if they could correctly pronounce the "r" and thus prove their Dominican heritage, proper identification and correct documentation remain a major concern on the island, especially in the more rural areas. It is illogical to just assume that the government would rubber stamp everyone's application. Such a ridiculous response would result in a mass exodus of Haitians from their side of the island within days.

It is equally absurd to think that people are suddenly finding themselves "stateless" today as if yesterday they had all their documents in order and somehow lost everything in a sudden wind gust blowing in from the north. Many Haitians do not have proper documentation. They've never had proper documentation, and yet, they've had access to health care, government assistance and other amenities. There is absolutely no change in that aspect whatsoever.

The change here is in the number of Haitians living in the Dominican Republic. It has reached unprecedented heights and cannot continue under current conditions. The Dominican government is searching for the best solution to this dilemma and the world community would be wise to support their efforts. The Dominican Republic is not a rich country and cannot count on a large military, unlimited budget and far outer regions to take care of their concern. They must resolve this with the few resources at their disposition and now, with an entire world breathing down their neck.

Perhaps if the billions of dollars the US supposedly offered Haiti back in 2010 was actually used to rebuild the country, there would be fewer Haitians fleeing their impoverished conditions today. Removing foreign control via the UN, and other international organizations would release the country from its centuries old enslavement. Forgiving the national debt would free up almost $2 billion. Allowing the creation of an actual government that took care of infrastructure and the needs of the people would go a long way to building a real country. Rather than imposing continual sanctions, forcing 32 coup d'etats and supporting dictator after dictator, the US, France and other countries could look at building a brighter future with the Haitians leading the way.

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