Haiti’s President-elect, Jovenel Moïse, has said that once in office he intends to strengthen relations with the Dominican Republic, and will ensure that undocumented Haitians living there receive the documentation they need to regularise their presence in the country.

Speaking to the media at the Presidential Palace following a meeting with the Dominican President, Danilo Medina, the Haitian President-elect expressed his intention to strengthen relations between the two nations.

“As President-elect I am sending a message to the whole world and the Dominican people. Together we can improve the conditions of our countries. The Dominican Republic and Haiti are two sister countries,” he said. Mr Moïse also said that he had sent clear signals to the Dominican Government and the international community that he intended to normalise relations.
In answer to questions about the large number of Haitians still waiting to receive identity documentation, Mr Moïse said that they will obtain the necessary documents “in a reasonable time frame.”

Identity documents are required by around 30,000 Haitian residents living in the Dominican Republic if they are to be able to remain. Under an extension granted by President Medina, Haitian migrants living illegally in the Dominican Republic who can provide identity documents before August 2017 can renew their status and avoid being expelled to Haiti. Dominican reports from the country’s special frontier security corps suggest that as many as 1,500 Haitians are crossing into the Dominican Republic on a daily basis.

During his January 16-17 visit, President-elect Moïse’s discussions primarily focussed on trade, sales of Dominican products to Haiti, and the continuing problems experienced by Dominican exporters to Haiti. Among the related topics discussed were co-operation…

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