Dominican Republic expelled 1800 children to Haiti without their parents’ consent between 1990 and 1994, in a decision that has been described as child trafficking by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Amnesty International.
The decision sparked mass protests against the decision at the time, and over 1000 children have since lost their legal status in the Dominican Republic.
The Government of the Dominican Republic (DRC) confirmed to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) that, as of today, 1755 children of the 1800 expulsions have returned to the DRC from Haiti since 1991. They also stated that, currently, 13 children who were given their second temporary leave of deportation from the DRC are residing in Haiti.
Background
The Dominican Republic (DOM) is a country rich with historical heritage. It was once a center of the Carib Indian civilization, which was founded during the 15th century. With time, the Dominican Republic transformed into a flourishing city with a great degree of freedom and development. In spite of the fact that the country is a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and is an important member of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and is an independent country, with a population of 13 million, the country is nevertheless extremely poor and needs international help as well as assistance from foreign countries. Nevertheless, even though the country is a former colony of Haiti, the relationship between the two countries has been a strained one.
According to the latest Dominican census, in 2007, the Dominican Republic has a population of 13,038,000 inhabitants, with an urban population of 3,534,000. With a literacy rate of 80 percent (national, urban and rural), the country has a low human development index (HDI). The low HDI suggests that significant social and economic challenges remain in the country, and that many problems still persist, such as crime and poverty. The HDI is a country indicator that measures the level of human development within a country and is made up of a series of economic, social, and personal human development components.
A large majority of the population lives below the poverty line, mostly with family members. Approximately 90 percent of the population has never been to school. The majority of the population in the country lives in extreme poverty and