According to the results of a survey by the Binational Observatory on Migration, Education, the Environment and Trade (OBMEC) conducted between November 2016 and January 2017 by Haitian and Dominican researchers in both countries, the profile of the migrant Haitian to the Dominican Republic has changed.

The researchers found that from a majority of sugar cane cutters in the past, the Haitian migrant population is now more educated and looking for work in construction, agriculture (citrus, rice and fruit) and Hotel complexes.

The survey also reveals that the proportion of males to migrant women has narrowed and their entry has become individual. "Previously it was peasants who were going to cut sugar cane. Today, it is less and less the case. It is fewer men and more women. Previously, it was mass departures, today they are individual departures," states the report which also indicates that these migrants are also more educated.

More than 95% of the foreign migrants living in the Dominican Republic are Haitians and 33% of these migrants live in the metropolitan area of Santo Domingo. According to the survey, Haitians come from three major regions in Haiti: the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area; the lower Artibonite and the Great North.

Moreover, the results of the survey reveal that "[...] there are more Haitian students in the Dominican Republic than in all the entities of the State University of Haiti together", which implies millions of dollars in funds transfer from their families in Haiti, to cover education and living expenses.

SL/ HaitiLibre