The Dominican General Directorate of Immigration (DGM) reported that since June 18, a day after the end of the National Plan for Regularization of Foreigners (PNRE) until Tuesday, June 23, 12,165 people had returned voluntarily to Haiti.

Dario Paulino Sem the Director of Immigration stated that "voluntary return of foreigners is exempt from sanctions under the rules of migration. This means that eventually these people could return to the country without hindrance, provided they meet the documentation requirements, visa, etc..."

Also Tuesday, the DGM denied that it had achieved some sort of mass deportation after completion of PNRE, June 17 The institution has refuted the information of alleged Haitian authorities, in which it is stated that a hundred people were repatriated by Dominican authorities in border communities of Malpasse and Belladère.

A statement from the DGM states that "Any alien illegally installed in the country is subject to deportation under the Constitution and the Dominican law, but the truth is that after completion of the deadline [registration] to regularization via PNRE, have not yet been initiated migration bans [and repatriation]."

The DGM specifies that when repatriation will take place, they will be "in the respect for human rights, dignity, with humanity and wisely".

SL/ HaitiLibre