“Stateless” Haitians take case to American human rights court

Santo Domingo.- Descendants of Haitians are the plaintiffs in a case which claims they’re in a judicial limbo, for which the American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) will hold a hearing against Dominican Republic Friday, filed by activists of the rights of people of Haitian descent, on the Government’s alleged actions to deny the nationality to children of Haitian parents.

The Commission, in an Oct. 1 letter to Foreign Minister Carlos Morales, notifies the Dominican authorities to the hearing to address the conflict.

The lawsuit was filed Bono Center Director and prelate Mario Cerrano, who also represents the Jesuit Migrants Service, Border Solidarity, the Dominican-Haitian Women Movement (Mudha); the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, and the Association for Cooperation and Development.

"The Commission has decided to convene a hearing during its 146th regular session to address the issue of the right to nationality for Dominicans of Haitian descent in the Dominican Republic," says the missive also sent to the country’s ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS), Roberto Saladin.

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The plaintiffs claim that the country’s new civil registration policies violate the rights of Haitian descendants and undermine their quality of life.