Pedernales, Dominican Republic. - They arrive in “herds” under the shadow of the moon, and some die of thirst and hunger in their quest to reach Dominican soil, crossing the Bahoruco Range, residents say. “We come here live, because things there are very hard. Here we find work, eat´ and take back to the family there,” said Luis Sensili, who together with a companion left Haiti on foot and without breakfast toward the Dominican border.

He narrated of how he arrives in this country easily, because it only takes him 10 hours on foot and never encounters problems coming or going, so he does it frequently and with the same freedom as if he were in his own country.

“What we have is a peaceful migration of Haitians,” warned the province’s senator Dionis Sanchez, who said Pedernales has dozens of communities in which more than 80% of its people are of Haitian nationality, because the Dominicans have emigrated to the cities. He cited Los Arroyos, Mencía, Aguas Negras, Las Mercedes, La Manigua, Los Altagracianos, Los Cayucos, Sitio Nuevo, El Quemao, Zumbú, Los Mogotes and La Seiba.

“What’s happened is that the Dominicans have left their houses in search of better horizons, and the Haitians have occupied them behind the same treasure.” the lawmaker said.

Mencía, in the heart of the Bahoruco range, was a prosperous community with farm production until the last decade, but now barely a few Dominicans live there.

Sanchez stressed that even there the houses built during the presidency of Joaquin Balaguer are inhabited totality by Haitians, who occupied them after ding them abandoned.

The mayor Adalgisa Matos said there are cases of people who’ve sold their houses for just RD$5,000 to the Haitians. “In the provincial capital there are barrios where only Haitians live.”

Jorgilio Segura affirmed that the migration towards Dominican territory is unstoppable, and described the flow as a mighty river. “In the mountains of Pedernales is bodies of Haitians who die are frequently found, possibly from hunger, fatigue and thirst. “Those people are desperate and our authorities have their arms crossed. The Haitians have taken us from our towns. They already have the houses that were ours and the farming properties also.”

SOURCE: listin.dom.do