PUNTA CANA. Just when the government has reiterated a thousand times that this country will not be a center for Haitian refugees, and in the midst of growing international pressure for the Dominican Republic to welcome hundreds of thousands of citizens from the neighboring country, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) intends to inaugurate a care center for undocumented immigrants in Punta Cana.
This center, called CARE and directed by a Venezuelan, was opened with the intention of providing care, referral, and resource services for undocumented migrants, who are mostly Haitians.
The launch of the center is scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday at 9:00 in the morning in Verón, Punta Cana. To gain support for this cause that contradicts the position of the Dominican State, the organizers of this activity, strategically, are inviting the authorities local organizations, community organizations, opinion leaders, and media in Verón-Punta Cana.
The author of this affront to the Dominican State is the Venezuelan Josúe Gastelbondo Amaya, Head of Mission of the IOM in the Dominican Republic and who directs CARE. According to the proponent of this support center for undocumented Haitians, this initiative is part of the organization’s commitment in the country “to manage migration in an orderly, fair, and regular manner.”
The IOM seeks for this center to become a reference point for assistance to vulnerable populations in the eastern part of the Dominican Republic.
This announcement comes at a time when the situation in Haiti has deteriorated considerably, with a wave of violence that has displaced hundreds of thousands of families.
Many of these displaced people seek refuge in the Dominican Republic, highlighting the importance of initiatives like the CARE center to provide support to those seeking safety and stability.
This care center for Haitian migrants raises questions about how the situation of Haitian refugees in the country will be handled, given the non-negotiable position of the Dominican government to accept shelters for people from that country.
