Santiago.- By dawn Thursday almost all the undocumented Haitians who lived in the crowded barrios San José and La Mina had fled and the few remaining will be integrated to the Neighborhood boards and other organizations of the zone, said community leaders and Immigration authorities in the North zone at the end of a meeting.

“As few as 80 to 100 remain, when there were 2,800, only those who work, study and behave well are living here, the others had to leave,” said San José and La Mina Neighborhood boards spokesman Jose Francisco Consuegra, quoted by listin.com.do.

Meanwhile Immigration Haitian Affairs North zone director Ramon Ureña said in yesterday’s meeting, held with no access to the press, both groups agreed to work together to improve the conditions in the barrios and guarantee hygiene and safety. The official Immigration would issue provisional documents to the Haitians, so they can travel within the country without problems.

Ureña also revealed that representatives of Haitian groups acknowledged that their compatriots cannot rent rooms which don’t have baths, piped water and other basic services.

Consuegra called the Haitians’ decision to leave those communities voluntarily “correct and civilist.”

More Haitians

He noted however that from now on the community will be on guard against the arrival of more undocumented Haitians. “Those who remain in our barrios are almost 100, they won’t have any problems, on the contrary we will protect them, but we won’t accept one more.”

Consuegra blamed Immigration for the massive presence for undocumented Haitians in the barrios and towns, many of whom he says commit all types of crimes.

In the Dominican west

In the western province San Juan de la Maguana, a similar crisis began Wednesday when residents of the town Pedro Corto, reportedly assisted by the military, rounded up hundreds of undocumented Haitians to repatriate them.