Dominican Republic-Haiti Border

   ​The Dominican Republic-Haiti border is the international division between the Dominican Republic and the Republic of Haiti on the island. The border exists to keep both countries separated. However, the Haitians have been crossing illegally which have concerned Dominican people. The massive migration of Haitian people to the Dominican territory have caused the construction of a border wall which as consequence, have generated the world’s opinions. 

First, Haitians have been crossing the border illegally to the Dominican Republic.  This is the principal reason to build a border wall. Haiti is considered a dangerous country to live in due to the crises they have been through. Examples of this the murder of their former president, Jovenel Moïse, and the gangs taking control of the streets, kidnapping, and killing. Dominicans believe people from the gangs could also cross illegally and do to our country what they have done in their own nation.

Second, most people that the nations are separated. Nevertheless, Dominicans don’t feel secure because the Haitians are crossing the frontier without any regulation. As a result, the current president, Luis Abinader, proposed the construction of the border wall. The government believes that building a wall will reduce the massive immigration from Haiti to the Dominican Republic. This idea is also supported by most of the Dominican population. The government has already started constructing part of the wall and has increased the border patrols to protect the country.

Last but not least, not everyone agrees with the decision of building the wall. People like Fiammetta Cappellini, the Haitian representative for Italian charity AVSI, said: “the relationship between Dominican Republic and Haiti has always been difficult due to their different speed and rhythms. However, the decision to build a wall worries us, as a possible reason for conflict and violence”. As Cappellini, there are more people stating opinions and concerns about the wall. Consequently, Abinader has clarified that none of the countries concerned about the wall have helped Haiti as the Dominican Republic has done in all these years with all the crises they have been going through one after the other. With this in mind, none of them have the right to make an opinion about the decision the Dominican Republic makes as a country.  

​In conclusion the division of the countries with the wall is a reality, and it is expected to end before Abinader’spresidency is finished. The wall is meant to protect the country from the crises that Haitians could bring and no matter the opinion that the world states about it. Both nations are already separated for cultural and many other reasons, therefore the wall is meant to protect the Dominican Republic from the Haitian massive immigration without regulation.