GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES DOCUMENTATION INITIATIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANTO DOMINGO 000706 SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/CAR, LA PAZ FOR A/DCM C LAMBERT E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/14/2019 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREF DR SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES DOCUMENTATION INITIATIVE REF: A. SDO 236 ¶B. SDO 623 Classified By: Roland W. Bullen, Charge d'Affaires, Reasons 1.4(b),(d) ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Following ON the heels of a proposed plan to regularize undocumented foreigners, the GODR hosted the conference "Migratory Policies and Experiences in the Regularization Process" ON June 10 and 11. Although the initial presentation and much of the discussion during the two-day forum was uniformly positive about the proposal and the need to address migration, cautious closing remarks by the Foreign Minister highlighted the continuing public divide. The proposed regularization will effect foreign residents differently, giving those with ten-years in the country permanent resident status, and those with five years temporary resident status. While politics and implementation details could imperil this plan, it certainly appears to be a good start. Background -------------- ¶2. (U) The GODR hosted its first forum ON migration in February (ref A). Since that time, the national summit made its recommendations for regularizing long-term residents into different categories depending upon their time in country, and the constitutional definition of Dominican nationality was altered to omit those born in the country to parents who are not Dominican nationals or legal residents (ref B). With the announcement of the June forum, the GODR also released a draft version of their proposed regularization plan, which was originally conceived at the time of the passage of the 2004 immigration law. The Proposal -------------- ¶3. (U) The regularization proposal was made by the National Migration Council, an interagency body headed by the Minister of Interior and Police, Franklin Almeyda of the ruling PLD party. In pertinent part it discusses creating a national registration database for all foreigners in the country, and then outlines three categories of foreigners who will receive different treatment under the proposal. The first group consists of foreigners who have been in the country for ten years or more. This group will be given the right to have permanent residence and will be given an identification document valid for four years. The second group, those who have been in the country less than ten years, but more than five years, will be permitted temporary residence and an identity document valid for two years. The third group, those who have been in the country less than five years, are considered to be non-residents and given no status aside from a personal identity document to expire in concordance with their expected stay under migration laws. The date from which to determine the length of stay in country is from the promulgation of the 2009 constitutional reform (which has not yet occurred),and only those residing in the country at the promulgation of the 2009 constitutional reform are affected by the proposal. Those who choose not to regularize their status within three years following the implementation of this proposal will be deported. The Forum -------------- ¶4. (U) The Charge and representatives of nearly all other diplomatic missions were ON hand when Almeyda opened the forum by explaining the importance of migration ON a global scale. He then disclosed that the GODR is not in a position to say how many migrants are in the country. He explained that the DR does not have any mechanisms in place to know how many migrants have entered nor how many of the three-million tourists who visit each year have decided to remain here. He also noted between 1.4 and 1.6 million Dominicans live outside of the DR. Almeyda attempted to personalize the plight of migrants in the country by explaining that migrants in the DR, like Dominicans living in the United States, are only seeking to better their lives and deserve to have their irregular status regularized. President Fernandez then addressed the audience and discussed booming migration figures world-wide including the large Dominican diaspora in the United States and Spain. While acknowledging that immigration is not a popular topic due to the vast numbers of illegal migrants, President Fernandez agreed with the need for immigrant-receiving countries to regularize the migrants living in their countries, beginning with a respect for the migrants' human rights. ¶5. (U) The forum progressed with several guest representatives from countries throughout the globe discussing their own experiences with regularization, with focus returning to the Dominican migration problem only in the closing event. Almeyda once again addressed the forum by formally presenting his regularization proposal. He explained that the plan is aimed at all foreigners living in the DR, no matter their nationality. All foreigners will have their fingerprints taken and all identification the officials can obtain from migrants will be used to document their identity. The GODR will also begin taking fingerprints at the border to control those who enter and depart the country. Anticipating the question of how the authorities will determine how much time an individual has in the country, Almeyda stated that the officials will use the same process Dominicans use to show how long they have been in the country, but also noted that the process of implementation will be slow in order to allow for a better understanding of the specifics. He stated that those who wish to remain unidentified, and who decide to remain undocumented, will be deported. Bringing the documentation problem home, Almeyda noted that, even among non-migrants, four percent of the Dominican population, or about 300,000 individuals, do not have documentation. ¶6. (U) Following Almeyda's presentation of the regularization proposal, three professors gave their opinions ON the plan. While the first two professors generally praised the proposal and offered small suggestions or concerns, the third launched into a tirade about how the proposal was unlawful, unfair to the Dominican citizens, and would just reward illegal immigrants for their unlawful acts. Following this lengthy, fairly heated criticism, few people applauded, but those who did so, gave a standing ovation. One such supporter cried, "Finally a voice to defend the Dominican citizens!" The Dominican ambassador to Haiti spoke after the dissenting professor and provided general praise. ¶7. (SBU) Foreign Minister Carlos Morales Troncoso, an important leader of the conservative PRSC party, spoke to close out the event. He began by praising Almeyda for his proposal and the timely conference to discuss the issue. Morales mentioned the need to protect the rights of migrants as a receiving nation, but also highlighted the need for the GODR to safeguard the welfare of its own citizens. He criticized the proposal as doing nothing to stop the problem of illegal immigration and as one that might lead to more illegal immigration as migrants' family members may seek to join them in the country. Morales did concede the need for Haitian labor in the country to drive growth, but he cautioned against allowing those Haitian migrants to take jobs away from Dominican citizens. Later, the Foreign Ministry issued a press release expressing caution regarding the regularization plan. It stated, "Regularization sends the message to those who would like to immigrate illegally that they can bet, with time and through an extended presence, that they can defeat the effect of the law." Follow-up Press -------------- ¶8. (U) News reports following the forum appeared aimed at playing up the disagreements between the PLD's Almeyda and the PRSC's Morales (whose parties are nominal allies). With the first news reports, and the Foreign Ministry's own press release, commenting ON Morales' criticism that the proposal would not solve the problem and will lead to more immigration. The day following the forum, several political parties, including main opposition parties, issued statements against the proposed regularization as neglecting the migration policies and risking a rise in narco-trafficking and delinquency. The president of the Central Electoral Commission, Julio Cesar Castanos Guzman, said that it was dangerous to naturalize illegal migrants in the country. He warned that the GODR could not create identity documents for those who do not have them without knowing what identity and nationality they had previously. Following Guzman's statement in the press, Almeyda retorted that Guzman apparently had not read the proposal and that it would not naturalize illegal immigrants, but rather regularizes the status of those who have been living irregularly in the country for long periods of time. He warned that this topic must be discussed free of passion or run the risk of allowing emotion to upset the table ON the issue, thus leaving things as they are today. Comment -------------- ¶9. (C) Almeyda, who has expressed aspirations for the Presidency, has spent significant political capital in proposing and supporting this proposal. In an attempt to help Dominicans better understand their neighbors, Almeyda placed himself squarely in the cross-hairs of his political enemies and even those within his own party. He described the two countries as two groups of people living ON an island with more similarities than differences. He also described Dominicans as "a mix between black and white" or "Afro-Hispanic," saying that those Dominicans who consider themselves "Indian" are not descendents of the native residents of the island. This conscious effort to separate himself from the common view indicates his dedication to the proposal's goal. ¶10. (C) The Foreign Minister's concerns about the proposal and the back-and-forth in the press following the forum highlight the differing public opinions ON the issue of migration. Although it was thinly-veiled throughout the conference, the migration discussion is focused squarely ON the other side of the island. While Dominicans appear content to have Haitian migrants working in low-income, demanding jobs in agriculture, construction, and domestic service, they seem threatened that these same workers will quickly move into jobs that Dominican citizens might want. During a conversation with POLOFF, the Director of Migration, Jose Anibal Sanz Jiminian, commented to PolOff that it is only when Haitians go after the higher-paying jobs in tourism that he takes affirmative action to deport them. Almeyda has shown that he understands the national concern about the Haitian migration, and knows that this concern exists at the highest levels of the GODR, as shown in the Foreign Minister's statement. In addition, by granting only permanent residency, the plan addresses only documentation and not statelessness. Regardless, it does appear that this proposal, five years in the making, has enough support (including from the President) and is being brought at the right time (as the Constitutional reform is in process) to succeed, but the public dialogue ON the proposal will likely be lengthy and implementation complex. Post will continue to monitor and report ON the progress of this plan. (U) Please visit us at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/santodomingo/ BULLEN