Dominican Republic to Partially Reopen Border With Haiti for Trade, Ban on Citizens Remains in Place

Soldiers patrol the border in Elias Pina, Dominican Republic, on the border with Belladere, Haiti, on March 5, 2021. Dieu Nalio Chery/AP Photo

The Dominican Republic will partially reopen its border with Haiti to allow for the trading of goods, but will keep in place its ban on Haitian citizens, the government announced on Oct. 9.

The announcement comes nearly a month after the Dominican Republic sealed its more than 240-mile border with Haiti amid an ongoing dispute over the construction of a canal diverting water from the Massacre River, also known as the Dajabón River, which runs through both nations.

In a statement to the Miami Herald on Monday, the Dominican National Security Council said the government will temporarily allow essential products, including food and medications, to be transported across its border with Haiti.

The partial reopening will go into effect on Oct. 11, at 8:00 a.m., in four border provinces, the government said, the Associated Press reports.

However, the trading will be under strict military controls, and mandatory biometric checks will also be put in place.

Haitian citizens, meanwhile, will continue to be barred from entering the country “indefinitely,” according to the Dominican National Security Council.

The council “will indefinitely extend the suspension of the issuance of visas to Haitian citizens” and “will ban the export of electronics, cement, rebar, and other construction materials to prevent structures from being built that threaten our environmental assets,” it said in the statement.

“President Luis Abinader has said that the border cannot and will not be the same,” the council said. “For this reason, these measures will continue to be the new normal on the border until we achieve a return to governance in Haiti. Our priority will continue to be the defense of the national interest and the security of our citizens.”

Criticism Over Border Shutdown

The Dominican Republic has faced criticism over its decision to shut down all land, air, and sea borders with neighboring Haiti, which has been plagued with political instability and a socioeconomic crisis.

In September, William O'Neill, the United Nations’ independent expert on the human rights situation in Haiti, warned that preventing essential products like food and medicine from being transported across the border could lead to “dire” conditions in Haiti.

However, the Dominican Republic government, which has already begun building a wall at its border with Haiti, has thus far stood by its decision to close the border and accused its neighbor of violating a 1929 treaty between both countries regarding the construction of the canal.

While Haiti plans to use water from the Massacre River to alleviate a drought in its Maribaroux plain, the Dominican Republic government argues that the river serves as a key resource for Dominican farmers and that construction of the canal could damage the environment.

The Dominican Republic government further argues that the border closure between the two nations that share the Caribbean island of Hispaniola has resulted in a reduction in undocumented immigrants and Haitian gang members entering the country.

UN Assisting Haiti’s Crackdown on Gangs

Earlier this month, the UN Security Council approved the deployment of an international security force to assist Haiti’s national police in curbing the ever-increasing gang violence as the nation has battled with thousands of homicides and kidnappings this year alone.

Haiti officials have condemned the partial border shutdown and urged the Dominican Republic to safeguard Haitians already residing in the country. It also praised the people of Haiti who have continued to build the canal, located in northeast Haiti near the border of Ouanaminthe and Dajabón, despite the ongoing debate.

“The government of the Republic of Haiti congratulates the population for their calm, serenity, and patriotism in the face of the disproportionate measures taken by the Dominican authorities. It continues to conduct consultations and make appropriate arrangements in the interest of Haitians,” officials said in a statement. “The government reaffirms the inalienable right of Haitians to equitably use” the river water, it added.

However, the Dominican Republic government on Monday again reiterated that the partial border closure is a matter of national security and said it has no plans to lift the ban on Haitian citizens.

“With the closure of the border, we keep Haitian gangs out of our territory; we stimulate the voluntary return of thousands of immigrants; the entry of undocumented immigrants is reduced; we control the smuggling of weapons and prohibited substances; and, most importantly, we show the international community our firm opposition to any Dominican solution to the Haitian problem,” the council said.

Reuters contributed to this report.