Thursday, March 10, Haitian university students demonstrated in front of the Embassy of Haiti in the Dominican Republic to demand the surrender of their passport with the Dominican student visa, not to lose the years of study completed and not to be repatriated to Haiti due to their irregular migration status.

Let's recall that at the beginning of November 2021, the Dominican Government had indefinitely suspended the special visa program for Haitian students https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35787-haiti-politic-haitian-student-visas-in-the-dominican-republic.html due to fraud and trafficking of visas granted to ineligible persons https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-35246-icihaiti-dominican-republic-traffic-of-student-visas.html

Avenel Archelus, a Haitian engineering student at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD) who was protesting, said they have been almost 10 months without any documents after handing over their passports to the Haitian Embassy for the granting of the visa by the Dominican Government "We are not criminals. If the Dominican authorities have problems with the Haitian authorities, we don't have to pay for it."

Derby Guerrier, another electronic engineering student at Apec University, pointed out that without a passport and visa, they cannot receive money, so they turn to friends for help. He indicated that he has been studying in the Dominican Republic since 2018. In addition, he added that without the documents, they will not be able to complete their studies because Dominican universities require them to have papers indicating a valid immigration status.

Let's recall that in January 2022 on the sidelines of the Summit of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, Jean Victor Généus the Haitian Minister of Foreign Affairs after meeting in Argentina his Dominican counterpart Roberto Álvarez declared that the Dominican Chancellor "promised" him to find an "immediate solution" to the problem of visa suspensions for Haitian students

It should be noted that this statement has never been confirmed or denied by the Dominican Government.

On the sidelines of the inauguration of the President-elect of Chile Gabriel Boric, Prime Minister ai Ariel Henry should meet the President of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36142-haiti-politic-the-prime-minister-ai-in-chile.html . According to sources close to the PM, the issue of the situation of Haitian university students in the Dominican Republic should be addressed.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35787-haiti-politic-haitian-student-visas-in-the-dominican-republic.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-35246-icihaiti-dominican-republic-traffic-of-student-visas.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35153-haiti-flash-suspension-of-haitian-student-visas-in-the-dominican-rep-clarification.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35150-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34458-haiti-flash-200-first-dominican-visas-issued-to-haitian-students.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33683-haiti-flash-visa-applications-for-haitian-students-approved-by-the-dominican-authorities.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33269-haiti-flash-towards-a-visa-for-more-than-2-800-university-students-in-dr.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33662-haiti-flash-a-special-visa-for-haitian-university-students-in-the-dominican-republic.html

SL/ HaitiLibre