Local July 2, 2015 | 7:47 am

Dominican Republic warns bashers face response

Santo Domingo.- The government of the Dominican Republic on Wednesday rejected the Human Rights Watch report which accuses the country of deporting thousands of Haitians.

"We cannot allow anyone to come to our country, tell lies, intended to harm Dominican Republic without a response," said government press director Roberto Rodriguez Marchena. "You have the freedom to say, but you should also know that if you disrespect our country you will have to face us and we will respond."

Rodriguez said no other country in the world where similar measures have been applied can boast such a high percentage of regularization of undocumented immigrants in its territory.

He said president Danilo Medina has been the only president who has had the courage and humanity to deal with a situation such as the immigration issue, “which our society has demanded for several years.”

He noted that Dominican Republic is acknowledging the rights of Haitian which their own country doesn’t, since if rails to issue them their papers.

He reiterated Medina’s affirmation that there’s not one case of statelessness in the country, noting that UNHCR neither has, nor presented one well-documented registry.

Lauds journalists

Interviewed on the “Govierno de las Mujeres’ radio program the official lauded the “bravery and patriotism” of the dozens of journalists who “responsibly exercised their profession” when they demanded evidence in the report by Human Rights Watch. "That report is a perfect rice with mangoes."

"Our reporters played a patriotic work at this morning that stage," Rodriguez said. “The battle the Dominican people waged was largely won by those journalists today.”

Thousands register for legalization

The Government has stated that 288,486 people have registered in its program to regularize foreigners.

"We’re talking about a staggering 70% of the 416,318 people who should’ve registered. No other country in the world that has implemented similar measures can exhibit such a high percentage of regularization of undocumented migrants in its territory," the government said in its response to the Human Rights Watch report.

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