As we watch the humanitarian crisis on the U.S.-Mexico border unfold, another border story is playing out on the Caribbean island shared by Dominican Republic (D.R.) and Haiti. Though the two countries sit side by side, they share a complex and fraught history. During the 20th century, hundreds of thousands of Haitians, most of them Black, crossed into D.R. to escape poverty and political instability, only to face color-based racism and violence. In 1937, Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo, who regarded Haitians as racially and culturally inferior, called for the execution of all Haitians in the country. The exact number remains unknown, but according to some sources, an estimated 20,000 Haitians were killed.
Decades of colorism and anti-Haitian legislation have followed since. In 2013, the Dominican government made headlines when it ended birthright citizenship for children born in the D.R. to undocumented parents. The Constitutional Court ruled that: “Dominican children of irregular migrants born in the Dominican Republic between 1920 and 2010 had never been entitled to Dominican nationality and would be stripped of that nationality.”
The ruling, Decree 168-13, retroactively stripped tens of thousands of Dominicans of their citizenship, leaving many Dominicans of Haitian descent stateless, or are at risk of statelessness. The decree effectively prevents impacted individuals from exercising their basic rights, including registering their children’s births, voting, accessing health care and education, and securing legal identity documents. Without identity documents in the D.R., individuals are not eligible to vote, legally work in the country, or even travel abroad. The government process has also been a legal maze that some have found impossible to navigate, sometimes leading to deportations during the registration period without due process.
Meanwhile, many Dominicans of Haitian descent who remain in the D.R. live in a perpetual state of fear and uncertainty. A participant with Heartland Alliance International (HAI) who wished to remain anonymous shared that she worries her French last name will result in unjust treatment by government officials, or worse – immediate deportation.
For nearly a decade, HAI has worked in the D.R. documenting and responding to the urgent needs and vulnerabilities of stateless populations and those at risk of statelessness. Working across 11 provinces, HAI provides legal and psychosocial services to help stateless individuals obtain nationality and reintegrate into Dominican society.
“I thank God that I was able to get my documents with the help of Heartland Alliance.” Said Anita, 24. “With those documents, I was able to register my youngest child as Dominican, and I was able to get insurance for both of us. I’m very happy because now I can afford doctors’ visits and medical tests because the insurance covers a big percentage.”
In addition to providing direct legal services, HAI’s team also disseminates ‘Know Your Rights’ information through brochures, radio broadcasts, and other messaging campaigns that empower Dominicans of Haitian descent to assert their rights to citizenship.
“There are many more people like me,” said Anita. “People who need documents and insurance. I even told my sister to sign-up and she got her insurance with Heartland too.”
HAI remains committed to improving national and local governments’ responses to statelessness and expanding support for stateless individuals through the public and private sector. That’s why we partner with grassroots organizations to invest in local leadership, build capacity, and provide comprehensive services to a broader population.
Today, as our newsfeeds flood with images of Haitian migrants being whipped by U.S. Border Patrol agents, we are reminded that anti-Black violence and racism permeates every corner of our globe – from the U.S.-Mexico border to the D.R.-Haiti border.
So, what can we do?
First, we must understand that issues of citizenship and nationality in the D.R., like in the U.S., have yet to be resolved or seriously considered. However, together, we have the power to affect change by raising awareness and urging government officials to take up the issue. Additionally, by supporting organizations, like HAI and the National Immigrant Justice Center, we can prevent statelessness in the D.R. and ensure Haitian migrants have access to equal protections and rights under international law.
