Dominican, Haitian Bishops Demand A Stop To Illegal Immigration

The Dominican and Haitian Episcopal Conference yesterday asked the authorities of both countries to reduce the migration flow, that the bishops say is “massive, anarchical and illegal.” They also requested legislation that respects the right to a name and a nationality.

In a joint statement, the Dominican and Haitian bishops ask both governments to solve the great problems affecting these countries and demand the creation of jobs and improvements in health, education, housing and natural resources.

They also request legislation without ambiguity, to respect the right of each person to have a name and a nationality. “It’s necessary to seek the solution to the great problems, such as that each person has an identity card as a citizen,” they say in the document.

Both conferences met in Port-au-Prince from April 15 to 17, where they held a Eucharist in that capital’s Cathedral, with the participation of a large number of priests, monks and nuns, laypersons, Haiti’s president René Preval, Government officials and diplomats.

The Dominican and Haitian bishops said the Church is currently feeling the pain and the sadness of lamentable occurrences such as abuses, injustice, manipulation of information, corruption in the border, the trafficking of humans, drugs and guns and acts of violence. They say what’s most lamentable it’s the tendency to blame the other and to see people and institutions who, in their personal interest, exploit both people’s poverty.