The Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly (Eurolat) opened Tuesday in the Senate of the Dominican Republic, where participants highlighted their concern about the migration crisis in America and the delicate situation in Haiti, exacerbated by the armed gangs violence.

The co-president of Eurolat on the American side, the Panamanian Amado Cerrud Acevedo, spoke of the migratory explosion in Panama, particularly on the border with Colombia, where more than 350,000 undocumented immigrants have transited this year to North America. Cerrud Acevedo stressed that Panama has become a bridge for thousands of trafficked people.

Additionally, the critical situation in Haiti was discussed, which led to an increase in irregular migration to the Dominican Republic.

During the opening of the meeting, Amado Cerrud Acevedo stressed that the migratory flow will not be stopped with walls or draconian laws, but by tackling the roots of the problems and promoting a fairer way of life. The president of the European component of Eurolat, the Spaniard Javi López, and the president of the Dominican Senate, Ricardo de los Santos, also spoke of the "unprecedented" migration crisis in the region.

The situation in Haiti was described as an "extreme emergency" and it was emphasized that the stability of Haiti is the responsibility of the international community.

Eurolat, was founded in 2006 and is made up of 150 parliamentarians, 75 from each party, and represents different regional and national parliaments in Europe and Latin America.

HL/ HaitiLi