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SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — Experts warned Friday that a Dominican court decision to strip citizenship from children of Haitian migrants could cause a human rights crisis, potentially leaving tens of thousands of people stateless, facing mass deportation and discrimination.
Officials promised to create a path to Dominican citizenship, but gave no details about how it would work or who would be covered.
The ruling by the Constitutional Court is final and gives the electoral commission one year to produce a list of people to be excluded from citizenship.
The decision applies to those born after 1929 – a category that overwhelmingly includes descendants of Haitians brought in to work on farms. It appears to affect even their grandchildren, said Wade McMullen, a New York-based attorney at the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice & Human Rights.
A U.N.-backed study released this year estimated that there are nearly 210,000 Dominican-born people of Haitian descent and roughly another 34,000 born to parents of another nationality.
Dark Blue: Unconditional birthright citizenship for persons born in the country (notice the USA is shaded in this color because anyone born on US soil automatically gains US Citizenship.)
Medium Blue: Modified system (notice the Dominican Republic is shaded in this color because anyone born on Dominican soil automatically gains Dominican Citizenship, except those born to illegal immigrants, foreign diplomats or people in transit.)
Light Blue: No longer jus soli (India is the only country shaded like this and it makes sense they got rid of this principle because India is seriously over-populated. More than a billion people crammed in a land area smaller than the continental USA. Crazy!)
Gray: Jus Sanguinis (notice Haiti is shaded in this color because only through blood ties can a person acquire Haitian Citizenship, all foreigners born on Haitian soil are not Haitian citizens. Also, descendants of Haitians born outside of Haiti are automatically Haitian citizens, even if they never visit or live in Haiti.)
This is what it states in Wikipedia:
Quote:
Jus soli (Latin: right of the soil), is the right of anyone born in the territory of a state to nationality or citizenship.
Jus sanguinis (Latin: right of blood) is a principle of nationality law by which citizenship is not determined by place of birth but by having instead one or both parents who are citizens of the state or more generally by having state citizenship or membership to a nation determined or conferred by -ethnic, cultural or other- descent or origin...
As can be seen on the map, most countries worldwide (including most of Europe and Africa) and some countries in the Western Hemisphere (Cuba, Bahamas, Haiti, etc) apply the Jus sanguinis principle to the acquisition of citizenship upon birth.
Some countries (Dominican Republic, South Africa, France, UK, Ireland, Australia, etc) apply a mixed system of Jus soli and Jus sanguinis, depending on the legal status of the immigrant parents.
Very few countries (most American countries plus Pakistan, Cambodia and a handful of Pacific island nations) apply the Jus soli principle.
Just another country heading toward a right-wing dictatorship and excluding from the ballot box any of "the wrong kind of people" in order to protect their embedded aristocracy.
It's tough because though the DR is making economic strides, it must be challenging to handle the number of illegal migrants from Haiti. But it is interesting considering the number of illegal Dominicans in other islands...
I'm sure the Dominican government doesn't care if all the illegal Dominicans elsewhere were to be deported back to the DR.
The reason for this is very simple to understand. Most Dominicans that have migrated to other countries did so legally. Those Dominicans that are illegals in other countries probably don't even amount to 200,000 at most (the vast majority of Dominican immigrants live in the USA and in Spain, and in both the illegals are a very small single digit percentage of the total migrant population.) The estimated number of illegal Haitians in the DR hovers from 500,000 to 1 million, depending on who one believes. So even if all illegal Haitians in the DR were deported and at the same time all illegal Dominicans elsewhere were deported too, the end result would be a net loss of people for the DR because there are less illegal Dominicans in other countries than there are illegal Haitians in the DR.
Curiously enough, Cuba and the Bahamas also suffer massive illegal immigration from Haiti and, apparently, in those countries not only are the kids born there to illegal immigrants excluded from receiving either the Cuban or Bahamian nationality, but, unlike in the DR, also the kids of legal immigrants are excluded too. In all of these countries, DR included, the kids receive the nationality of their parents and its the responsibility of their parents and the embassy of their country to properly register and get the proper identity documents for their kids.
The biggest irony I have noticed (and probably explains why the Haitian government itself remains officially quiet about Dominican citizenship requirements) is that Haiti itself excludes from Haitian citizenship upon birth to those born to all foreigners, regardless if they are legally or illegally in Haiti. Haitian citizenship can only be acquired upon birth if the kid's parent (or just one parent) are Haitian citizens themselves and it doesn't matter if the kid was born in Haiti or abroad.
That's the situation on the island.
A Haitian couple migrates legally to the DR and has a kid there, that kid is born as a legitimate Dominican citizen. A Haitian couple migrates illegally to the DR and has a kid there, that kid is born as a legitimate Haitian citizen.
A Dominican couple migrates legally to Haiti and has a kid there, that kid is born as a legitimate Dominican citizen. A Dominican couple migrates illegally to Haiti and has a kid there, that kid is born as a legitimate Dominican too.
It seems to me that what Dominicans want is for most people thinking of moving to their country, to do it legally by asking for visas, getting a residency card, entering through the designated border/airport/seaports entry points with a valid and legitimate passport, have their disease vaccines up to date, be healthy so new diseases aren't introduced to the local population, etc. You know, typical stuff in any country in the world.
As for Haiti, it seems to me that they don't want any foreigners moving and putting roots in their country because they don't care if you are legal or illegal, your kids will never be Haitian. It also makes sense because Haiti is overpopulated and seriously underdeveloped.
I'm sure the Dominican government doesn't care if all the illegal Dominicans elsewhere were to be deported back to the DR.
The reason for this is very simple to understand. Most Dominicans that have migrated to other countries did so legally. Those Dominicans that are illegals in other countries probably don't even amount to 200,000 at most (the vast majority of Dominican immigrants live in the USA and in Spain, and in both the illegals are a very small single digit percentage of the total migrant population.) The estimated number of illegal Haitians in the DR hovers from 500,000 to 1 million, depending on who one believes. So even if all illegal Haitians in the DR were deported and at the same time all illegal Dominicans elsewhere were deported too, the end result would be a net loss of people for the DR because there are less illegal Dominicans in other countries than there are illegal Haitians in the DR.
Curiously enough, Cuba and the Bahamas also suffer massive illegal immigration from Haiti and, apparently, in those countries not only are the kids born there to illegal immigrants excluded from receiving either the Cuban or Bahamian nationality, but, unlike in the DR, also the kids of legal immigrants are excluded too. In all of these countries, DR included, the kids receive the nationality of their parents and its the responsibility of their parents and the embassy of their country to properly register and get the proper identity documents for their kids.
The biggest irony I have noticed (and probably explains why the Haitian government itself remains officially quiet about Dominican citizenship requirements) is that Haiti itself excludes from Haitian citizenship upon birth to those born to all foreigners, regardless if they are legally or illegally in Haiti. Haitian citizenship can only be acquired upon birth if the kid's parent (or just one parent) are Haitian citizens themselves and it doesn't matter if the kid was born in Haiti or abroad.
That's the situation on the island.
A Haitian couple migrates legally to the DR and has a kid there, that kid is born as a legitimate Dominican citizen. A Haitian couple migrates illegally to the DR and has a kid there, that kid is born as a legitimate Haitian citizen.
A Dominican couple migrates legally to Haiti and has a kid there, that kid is born as a legitimate Dominican citizen. A Dominican couple migrates illegally to Haiti and has a kid there, that kid is born as a legitimate Dominican too.
It seems to me that what Dominicans want is for most people thinking of moving to their country, to do it legally by asking for visas, getting a residency card, entering through the designated border/airport/seaports entry points with a valid and legitimate passport, have their disease vaccines up to date, be healthy so new diseases aren't introduced to the local population, etc. You know, typical stuff in any country in the world.
As for Haiti, it seems to me that they don't want any foreigners moving and putting roots in their country because they don't care if you are legal or illegal, your kids will never be Haitian. It also makes sense because Haiti is overpopulated and seriously underdeveloped.
Pfft! Ha!..... Puerto Rico has a big issue and problem with illegal Dominican immigration. Many Dominicans flee DR on yola boats which is often dangerous. In fact Dominicans in PR mirrors the Haitians migrations to DR issue.
Many other islands have illegal Dominican Republic immigrants though.
Also another example are Colombians. Many Colombian refugees and illegal Colombians often immigrate to Panama, Ecuador, and Venezuela among other places.
I'm sure the Dominican government doesn't care if all the illegal Dominicans elsewhere were to be deported back to the DR.
The reason for this is very simple to understand. Most Dominicans that have migrated to other countries did so legally. Those Dominicans that are illegals in other countries probably don't even amount to 200,000 at most (the vast majority of Dominican immigrants live in the USA and in Spain, and in both the illegals are a very small single digit percentage of the total migrant population.) The estimated number of illegal Haitians in the DR hovers from 500,000 to 1 million, depending on who one believes. So even if all illegal Haitians in the DR were deported and at the same time all illegal Dominicans elsewhere were deported too, the end result would be a net loss of people for the DR because there are less illegal Dominicans in other countries than there are illegal Haitians in the DR.
Curiously enough, Cuba and the Bahamas also suffer massive illegal immigration from Haiti and, apparently, in those countries not only are the kids born there to illegal immigrants excluded from receiving either the Cuban or Bahamian nationality, but, unlike in the DR, also the kids of legal immigrants are excluded too. In all of these countries, DR included, the kids receive the nationality of their parents and its the responsibility of their parents and the embassy of their country to properly register and get the proper identity documents for their kids.
The biggest irony I have noticed (and probably explains why the Haitian government itself remains officially quiet about Dominican citizenship requirements) is that Haiti itself excludes from Haitian citizenship upon birth to those born to all foreigners, regardless if they are legally or illegally in Haiti. Haitian citizenship can only be acquired upon birth if the kid's parent (or just one parent) are Haitian citizens themselves and it doesn't matter if the kid was born in Haiti or abroad.
That's the situation on the island.
A Haitian couple migrates legally to the DR and has a kid there, that kid is born as a legitimate Dominican citizen. A Haitian couple migrates illegally to the DR and has a kid there, that kid is born as a legitimate Haitian citizen.
A Dominican couple migrates legally to Haiti and has a kid there, that kid is born as a legitimate Dominican citizen. A Dominican couple migrates illegally to Haiti and has a kid there, that kid is born as a legitimate Dominican too.
It seems to me that what Dominicans want is for most people thinking of moving to their country, to do it legally by asking for visas, getting a residency card, entering through the designated border/airport/seaports entry points with a valid and legitimate passport, have their disease vaccines up to date, be healthy so new diseases aren't introduced to the local population, etc. You know, typical stuff in any country in the world.
As for Haiti, it seems to me that they don't want any foreigners moving and putting roots in their country because they don't care if you are legal or illegal, your kids will never be Haitian. It also makes sense because Haiti is overpopulated and seriously underdeveloped.
USA needs to do the same thing in enforcing legal immigration and enforcing laws. That's why it's so hypocritical because illegal immigrants or ppl that overstayed their visas want to complain about USA policies and get over yet in their countries that they came from they enforce strict immigration laws on ppl. This is what ppl need to understand.
Pfft! Ha!..... Puerto Rico has a big issue and problem with illegal Dominican immigration. Many Dominicans flee DR on yola boats which is often dangerous. In fact Dominicans in PR mirrors the Haitians migrations to DR issue.
Many other islands have illegal Dominican Republic immigrants though.
Also another example are Colombians. Many Colombian refugees and illegal Colombians often immigrate to Panama, Ecuador, and Venezuela among other places.
I heard that a lot of Puerto Ricans in PR are very hostile to the illegal and legal Dominicans on the island.
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