26065: Arthur (press release) Denouncing the mass deportations from the Dominican Repub (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Tttnhm@aol.com

Press release: Denouncing the mass deportations from the Dominican Republic -
23 August 2005


The British solidarity organization, the Haiti Support Group, joins with
civil society organizations in Haiti in denouncing the recent mass deportations
from the Dominican Republic into Haiti.

According to information received by the Refugees and Repatriated Support
Group (GARR), the Jesuit Refugee and Migrants Service (SJRM) and the human rights
committees of the RÃseau Binational Jeannot SuccÃs (RBJS), more than two
thousand people have been deported across the Dominican-Haitian border between the
end of July and the middle of August 2005. More than half of them were
transported to the border crossing point at Elias PiÃas/BelladÃre in the Central
Plateau.

These people had been arrested by the Dominican police, army, and immigration
agents, on the basis of the color of their skin and their inability to speak
fluent Spanish. Some Dominicans - mistaken for Haitians - were among those
deported.

Numerous violations have taken place, including:

- the mass character of the deportations, contrary to article 22-9 of the
Interamerican Convention on Human Rights, which stipulates that the "collective
expulsion of foreigners is forbidden".

- the confiscation of identity documents: Haitian passports that are the
property of the Haitian State have been confiscated, and Dominican identity cards
have been ripped up.

- the denial of the right to prove legal status: in most cases the deportees
were denied the right to contact relatives with a view to providing their
documents, and were also prevented from contacting the Haitian diplomatic
services.

- the forced separation of families: mothers and fathers have been separated
from their children, and married couples have been separated from each other.


-  bad detention conditions: prior to the deportations, the detained people
have been kept for three to five days without food or access to basic toilet
facilities.

- physical violence: the deportees have been mistreated and beaten at the
time of their removal;

- cases of aggression and intimidation: insults, shots into the air and
death-threats have been commonplace during the deportations;

- violence against women: the violent character of the deportations has
resulted in cases of miscarriage and premature birth, and attempted rapes have been
reported.

-  loss of belongings and housing, and non-payment of wages: the majority of
the deportees were prevented from retrieving their belongings at the time of
their arrest, and those who had jobs were not able to get wages due for days -
sometimes weeks - of work.

The Haiti Support Group joins the Groupe dâAppui aux RapatriÃs et RÃfugiÃs
(GARR) in:

demanding that the Dominican and Haitian governments respect the 1999
Protocole dâAccord on the mechanics of repatriation;

calling on the Haitian government, in particular, the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and the Ministry of Haitians Living Abroad, to stop being so cautious and
to end their silence with regard to the mass deportations;

asking the Haitian government to intervene with the Dominican government to
permit the victims to obtain compensation;

demanding that the Dominican government cease deporting its citizens on
racist grounds;

condemning the attitude of the Dominican government which appears to be
taking advantage of some deplorable incidents to unleash a wave of deportations and
create a climate where disreputable individuals can persecute Haitians
remaining in the country: for example, on 16 August, four Haitians in Haina were
doused with flammable liquid and set on fire;

demanding that the Haitian government takes all necessary measures so that
the economic and social rights of the Haitian population are respected, thereby
alleviating the poverty of the urban poor and the peasantry that force
Haitians to look for a better way of life abroad. These measures must include a
reduction in the cost of living, and the creation of jobs.


For more information in French see: http://www.garr-haiti.org/index.html
__________________________________

Forwarded as a service of the Haiti Support Group - solidarity with the
Haitian people's struggle for human rights, participatory democracy and equitable
development - since 1992.

Web site: www.haitisupport.gn.apc.org