To deal with immigration, mainly from Haiti, the Dominican Republic began building a wall on the border with that country in early 2022. But the construction of what President Abinader calls a “smart barrier” is also drawing criticism .
This wall initiative, or “smart fence” according to the authorities, is a further step in the anti-Haitian policy implemented at the highest level of the Dominican government. Difficulties obtaining documents and illegal deportations have been commonplace for Haitian migrants in the Dominican Republic for several years.
Domingo is sitting in front of a small wooden house. For a few months it has had a view of the wall, a few steps from the Dajabón border bridge. Domingo agrees with the construction of the wall and considers it “a good initiative for everyone”. The main reason is theft.
“Here, on this side, if you have a cow, it’s not safe. The Haitians will steal it from you. But now they’re going to put barbed wire on it. Because, well, imagine… Haitians can’t be trusted. Do you see that tree there? Well, they get on it and manage to break through the wall. They pass, they don’t care. That’s why you have to install barbed wire.”
smart fence
Currently, the wall is between two and three meters high. Some parts are not finished yet. The general impression is that of a wasteland rather than a guarded military area.
We went to the town hall of Dajabón, where Santiago Riverón, the mayor, explained the project: “People call it a wall, but it’s a ‘smart fence’. Intelligent thanks to a technology that includes, among others, a camera system, constant security, a control system. All this will be managed by the army. In two months, the first part will be completed. Let’s not forget that there are several kilometers of border. For now, the first 50 kilometers will be officially closed.
According to the official, the wall is already having positive effects in the community: “The wall was a request from many Dominican citizens. Especially to respond to thefts. Here it can happen that 30 or even 40 cows are stolen at one time. And, of course, there is the issue of migration. For most people, this wall will control this situation.
Powerlessness of the authorities
But not everyone shares this opinion. One of them is Gonnell Franco, journalist and resident of Dajabón. We interviewed him at the border crossing between Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
“The sector that supports the wall the most is mainly cattle farming. Breeders are the most affected by thefts. But really, for this problem, what is needed is to apply the law, not to build a wall. By building a wall, the authorities recognize their inability. In addition, the military will be responsible for monitoring it. The same army that is unable to control the border. There really is a lot of corruption. Every month, an official report is published with the figures of the number of people deported (from Santo Domingo), but we are constantly told that the country is full of Haitians. Don’t you think that’s incomprehensible?”
Nature was not spared by this construction either: “In the lagoon area of Saladilla, hundreds of mangroves were cut down despite the protests and the rejection of the population. The environmental damage is truly terrible.”
The wall should eventually have 164 kilometers out of the almost 400 that make up the Dominican-Haitian border. The first 50 kilometers cost 28 million euros and were mostly built by Haitian migrants.
Source: Latercera
I am David Jack and I have been working in the news industry for over 10 years. As an experienced journalist, I specialize in covering sports news with a focus on golf. My articles have been published by some of the most respected publications in the world including The New York Times and Sports Illustrated.
