Haitian Construction Workers in the Dominican Republic: An Exploratory Study of Indicators of Forced Labor
Research report on the working conditions and indicators of forced labor faced by Haitian migrant workers in the construction sector in the Dominican Republic. Commissioned by the U.S. Department of Labor, coordinated by ICF International, and carried out by OBMICA in 2012, the study covered Santo Domingo, Santiago de los Caballeros, and Bavaro/Punta Cana.
This research report examines the working conditions and indicators of forced labor faced by Haitian migrant workers in the construction sector in the Dominican Republic. It was commissioned by the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), coordinated by ICF International, and carried out by OBMICA in 2012.
The study was conducted in Santo Domingo, Santiago de los Caballeros, and Bavaro/Punta Cana, where researchers carried out 135 interviews with workers and 75 with key stakeholders and informal experts. It investigates four main themes: migration pathways and the process of obtaining employment, including recruitment; working conditions and the employer-employee relationship; living conditions and indebtedness; and the effects of the 2010 Haiti earthquake on Haitian migration for construction work in the Dominican Republic.