State of Migration Affecting the Dominican Republic 2013

This annual publication seeks, for the third consecutive year, to provide a general review of the main events and trends in international migration that affected the country in 2013.

Written by Altair Rodriguez Grullon, the report addresses, for the first time, events linked to migration and the environment, an issue that has gained relevance in recent years due to the growing global impact of climate change. It also places special emphasis on the situation of refugees and asylum seekers, a topic that does not affect a large number of foreigners in the Dominican Republic but is extremely important from a human rights perspective because it usually affects a highly vulnerable foreign population and remains largely unknown to the national public.

Finally, one of the most significant events of 2013 was Constitutional Court ruling 168-13. Although the ruling affected the rights of Dominicans of Haitian descent, it also had an impact on migration policy, especially by requiring approval and implementation of the National Regularization Plan under General Migration Law No. 285-04. The report summarizes the main reactions to the ruling and the measures taken by government authorities in the final months of 2013.

State of Migration Affecting the Dominican Republic 2013 reflects the complexity of migration and the multiple issues it encompasses, not only on the island but across the insular Caribbean and in destination countries. It also demonstrates OBMICA's conviction that migration laws and policies have profound effects on the lives of migrants and must be approached from the perspective of human dignity and human rights.

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