dominica2day: Haitians may soon be able to work in Dominica without immigration nightmares

Haitians may soon be able to work in Dominica without immigration nightmares
================================================================================
admin on 12 January, 2006 05:00:00
 
Haitian immigrants living in Dominica may soon be able to settle and work here
without the cutomary immigration nightmares. Vice President of the
Dominica-Haiti Frienship Society, McCarthy Marie says says that efforts are
currently underway to regularize the Hiatian immigration status.
If the Dominica-Haiti Friendship Society (DHFS) gets its way, Haitian nationals
living in Dominica may soon be able to settle and work without the present
encumbering immigration nightmares they face.  McCarthy Marie, Vice President of
the DHFS says efforts are currently underway to regularize the Haitian
immigration status with as little difficulties as possible.  He indicated that a
proposal to deal with the situation could be presented to government soon.  The
DHFS says Marie, “is now preparing a document which we will shortly deliver to
the government to give them our idea as to how we think the immigration
situation with the Haitians can be dealt with.”  Marie is hoping that whatever
is worked out, at least the Haitians would be “allowed to stay here and work
with minimum of disruption to [the Dominican society] and themselves.”
Under the current arrangement, Haitians who enter Dominica legally must pay a
deposit of US$400.00 to government before they are allowed to stay for six
months in the first instance.  Those wishing to stay beyond the allotted time
must apply for an extension at additional cost.  Immigrants returning to Haiti
or leaving Dominica are refunded their deposit.  However, most of the Haitians
who do leave are smuggled out of the country, and those who stay back to work do
so illegally and are often rounded up by the authorities and repatriated.
According to Marie, the intension behind this initiative is to ensure that the
Haitians “do not find themselves in a situation of illegality.”  .