Thousands Stripped of Citizenship in the Dominican Republic

Government Continues to Retroactively Deny Legal Documents on Basis of Ethnicity
NEW YORK, June 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A case challenging the Dominican Republic's treatment of its citizens of Haitian ancestry was filed before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights today by the Open Society Justice Initiative and the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL).
The case focuses on Emildo Bueno Oguis, a Dominican of Haitian descent who was refused a certified copy of his birth certificate—essential to travel, work, or access other basic services in the Dominican Republic—by the civil registry in 2007.
"Bueno Oguis's case is emblematic of the discrimination faced today by thousands of Dominicans of Haitian descent," said James A. Goldston, the executive director of the Open Society Justice Initiative. "The Dominican government is using a panoply of legislative and administrative tactics to deprive this population of its lawful rights. Without access to their identity documents, many Dominicans of Haitian descent find themselves essentially stateless."
Bueno Oguis was born in the Dominican Republic in 1975 and recognized by multiple state agencies as a citizen, in accordance with the law. However, since 2007, government authorities have argued that he actually does not have the right to Dominican nationality because of his parents' immigration status at the time of his birth, retroactively applying a 2004 migration law to strip him of citizenship.
A hearing on Bueno Oguis's case has been pending before the Dominican Republic's Supreme Court for more than fifteen months. After three years without essential documents, Bueno Oguis has faced unacceptable limitations on his fundamental rights, including restrictions on his ability to move freely and own property.
The Bueno Oguis case is the first nationality-related complaint to be filed against the Dominican Republic before a human rights tribunal since the Inter-American Court's landmark ruling in Yean and Bosico. In that case, the court ruled in 2005 that parents' migration status could not be a factor in determining nationality, and found the Dominican Republic's nationality policies racially discriminatory against Dominicans of Haitian descent.
"The Dominican Republic has to comply with the spirit of the Inter-American Court's decision," said Ariela Peralta, Deputy Director of CEJIL. "The new constitution raises additional concerns, and we hope that this case will spur a more productive dialogue on how the country can work to end these racist policies."
The Justice Initiative works together with partner organizations in the Dominican Republic to document denial and deprivation of nationality, raise awareness of the problem of statelessness, demand justice for victims, and advocate for modification of discriminatory nationality laws and policies.
The Open Society Justice Initiative uses law to protect and empower people around the world. Through litigation, advocacy, research, and technical assistance, the Justice Initiative promotes human rights and builds legal capacity for open societies.
The Center for Justice and International Law is an organization dedicated to the defense and promotion of human rights on the American continent, and to litigation before the Inter-American Commission and Court of Human Rights.
SOURCE Open Society Justice Initiative
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http://cejil.org/

"Thousands Stripped of Citizenship in the Dominican Republic"

and thousand more to come until immigration laws are followed and Haitians learn to get in line and do legal migration.

There isn't any accountability. You could attempt to say well why don't these people try to receive some documentation from Haiti- certifying their parents birth land and ancestry? HA yeah right! Even those born and staying in Haiti may not have official documents of their birth place (eg. birth certs. & passports.) Immigration depts. on both sides need to work something out. Or it'll be the "limbo dance" for a good while. I also believe there was a post or article of the growing number of true Dominicans not filing for national docs. too. There should be a movement and government commissions set up for this issue as well.

Jus soli or jus sanguinis.

"The new constitution raises additional concerns, and we hope that this case will spur a more productive dialogue on how the country can work to end these racist policies."

Racist policies?... really?
If they know their moms and pops come from just next door then the Domi. gobierno should address enforcing immigration policies in their neighbor's neck of the woods. And... wait a minute, why is it that after he went to Dominican officials and made that complaint was he allowed to go back to his "home" in the DR when they knew he was now an illegal? Consistency anyone? Shows the weakness in both governments.


Bklyn' talk 1: "Ey Bébé, COME GET YA' KIDS!" and "Stop lettin' em' lie to demselves"
Bklyn' talk 2: "Shoot, Néné, you know it ain't my fault. I was comin' off-a "work" late. Damn girl."

The apathy is out of control.

[QUOTE=talia]
There isn't any accountability. You could attempt to say well why don't these people try to receive some documentation from Haiti- certifying their parents birth land and ancestry? HA yeah right! Even those born and staying in Haiti may not have official documents of their birth place (eg. birth certs. & passports.) Immigration depts. on both sides need to work something out. Or it'll be the "limbo dance" for a good while. I also believe there was a post or article of the growing number of true Dominicans not filing for national docs. too. There should be a movement and government commissions set up for this issue as well.


Jus Sanguini ,at least two generations!!

I have an idea. If the Haitian does not have any papers, from either side and claims top be Dominican, then he should pass a test on Dominican language, history, and geography, and be able to swear to serve the Dominican Republic, and everything it stands for. Also must be voted in favor, by a panel of five judges from the five major political parties.

[[B]B]Generoso and friends,


[URL]http://www.census.gov/cgi-bin/broker[/URL]

Based on the population projection of the above site, International Data Base (IDB), the situation looks ominous indeed.


[ In million]

------------------2010 ----------- 2020------------- 2030--------------2040---------------2050

Cuba-------11.477 [1]------11.646-----------11.567 [3]--------11.196 [3]---------10.540 [3]
DR----------- 9.794 [2]-------11.235----------12.567 [2]--------13.715 [2]---------14.657 [2]
Haiti----------9.203 [3]------ 11,010----------12.876 [1]--------14.567 [1]---------16.115 [1]



To recap, according to the projections based on the United States Census Bureau, the following statistical profile is possible. In 2010, the largest island in the Caribbean, Cuba, had the largest population of inhabitants followed by the Dominican Republic, and Haiti. By the year 2020, the same order remained but with the added proviso that the populations of all three were roughly equal in number. In 2030, the populations are now reversed in order with Haiti having the largest population, the Dominican Republic the second largest, and Cuba, the leader in 2010 and for most of the last 200 years in Caribbean history, last with 11.567 million inhabitants. By the year 2040, the populations continue their numerical separation with Haiti gaining more inhabitants than the DR and Cuba combined! Finally, the last year of the statistical analysis shows Haiti widening its lead over the Dominican Republic and Cuba. The final tallies: Haiti 16 million, Dominican Republic 14.6 million, and Cuba with 10.5 million people. Cuba would then have a population numerically the same as in 1990!, but with the added condition that unlike in the 1990, its population by 2050 would be much older in composition. Haiti would have grown 2.5 times its 1990 population of 6.288 million. The Dominican Republic would have doubled its population from 7.082 to 14.657 million people. Another way of looking at these dreadful trends is to notice that if they come to pass the island of Hispaniola would have over 30 million inhabitants by 2050! That's more than all the rests of the Caribbean nations put together. Talk about a coming disaster. [/B][/B]

Alliance planning homes for Haiti


With Haiti's reconstruction still limping along, a powerful new group led by BET founder Bob Johnson is vying to become a key player in the rebuilding of the nation.
BY JIM WYSS

JWYSS@MIAMIHERALD.COM

Businessman and Black Entertainment Television founder Robert L. ``Bob'' Johnson is behind the latest push to rebuild Haiti.
On Tuesday, Johnson said his Maryland-based RLJ Companies are joining forces with Global Building Solutions, cruise giant Royal Caribbean and Haiti-based WIN Group to build two factories in Haiti that could churn out about 800 homes per month.
Johnson made the announcement after returning from a trip to the earthquake-shattered island where he met with President René Préval and Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive.
Once the new group gets the go-ahead from the Haiti Reconstruction Commission, the factories could be in operation in six to seven months, he said.
The group will be using a technology called structured insulated panels, or SIPs, to build lightweight, earthquake-resistant structures. A two-bedroom, two-bathroom house using the technology could be built for under $10,000, he said. It's unclear how much Haitians will have to pay for the homes.
The alliance brings together deep pockets, one of Haiti's most politically connected families -- the Mevs, who own the WIN Group -- and Royal Caribbean, which has been operating in Haiti for almost three decades.
``You put [us] all together and it's a very dynamic, powerful group of companies,'' Johnson said. ``We know what we are doing, and we have the commitment of the prime minister and the president to become an important part of the revitalization process.''
The news comes amid growing dismay with Haiti's recovery effort.
Five months after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake leveled much of the capital and killed -- by government estimates -- some 300,000 people, much of the heavy lifting remains to be done.
Some contractors who swarmed the island in the days after the earthquake hoping for quick contracts have quietly begun moving personnel back to the United States as they prepare for hurricane season and vie for oil-cleanup work in the Gulf.
J.R. Bergeron of Bergeron Emergency Services in Broward County said they are still hoping to get reconstruction contracts in Haiti but have been disappointed by the slow pace. ``We're kind of on hold,'' said Bergeron, whose staff remains in Haiti.
The only contract that has come up lately is a project to build a bridge worth less than a half-million dollars.
``We wouldn't even fly over there for that,'' he said.
The Johnson group isn't alone in trying to bring innovative building techniques to the island. Miami-based Innovida, which makes structures out of fiber-composite boards, also has plans to build a factory in Haiti.
Innovida founder Claudio Osorio says the company already has contracts from the private sector and nongovernmental organizations to build homes and offices worth $25 million to $50 million.
Despite their success, challenges remain, Osorio said.
``The difficulties remain the same: The flow of funds into the country and the flow from NGOs -- it's all very slow,'' he said.
Johson's group isn't waiting for government contracts. Royal Caribbean will be using the technology to build a school in the port town of Labadee along Haiti's northern coast. The town, a port of call for Royal Caribbean, is seen as critical to rebuilding the nation as a tourist destination. One of the new factories will be built along the northern coast -- likely close to Labadee and Haiti's second-largest city, Cap-Haitien, Johnson said.
RLJ has a track record of working in challenging environments. The company first teamed up with Global Building Solutions to build a 79-room hotel in civil-war-torn Liberia.
Johnson, who became the first African-American billionaire when he sold BET to Viacom for $3 billion in 2001, no longer appears on Forbes' list of the 400 wealthiest Americans. But he still has the ear of the rich and powerful in Washington, D.C.
Johnson said he plans to use those connections to advocate for the struggling nation. ``I told the [Haitian] president that we are not just going to come here and help out on infrastructure,'' he said. ``I am going to be a voice for Haiti.''


Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/06/24/1697077/alliance-planning-homes-for-haiti.html#ixzz0rlw5fDC3