The Pandemic Expels 70,000 Migrants From the Dominican Republic

In the Dominican Republic, the National Board for Migration and Refugees Coordinator William Charpantier Monday informed that about 70,000 Haiti’s citizens have returned home voluntarily because of the lack of employment and access to health services.

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"The immigrants have been the most affected by the pandemic since the government has not helped them. Efforts to halt the COVID-19 must be inclusive since we are all exposed," Charpantier pointed out.

Due to the paralysis of agricultural and construction activities, many immigrants have been forced to sell trinkets on the streets, move to the country's Eastern region to find job opportunities, or return to their homeland.

The Dominican Republic does not have a record of Haitians with coronavirus or Haitians killed from the pandemic, since foreigners are not even considered for COVID-19 testing.

The pandemic affects the remittances transfer to Haiti as immigrants are receiving low or no income at all. Many of them do not have enough money to pay for rent.

Some government agencies, the Catholic Church through its Caritas Program, and several businessmen have helped the immigrant workers, mostly with food.

"There was also an agreement with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) that provided over 3,000 hygiene masks," Charpantier stated.

As of Tuesday morning, the Dominican Republic had reported 99,898 COVID-19 cases and 1864 deaths.