The growing number of Haitian nationals leaving Dominica’s shores illegally is posing a serious problem for government officials as well as law enforcement authorities both here and abroad.
On the heels of Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit’s appeal for this activity to be brought to a halt, National Security and Home Affairs Minister, Rayburn Blackmoore has added his voice and has condemned what he terms as “un-Dominican behavior”.
According to Minister Blackmoore, Government has been very accommodating and calls on Haitian nationals to respect the rule of law.
“We see them as our brothers and sisters. It is a humane thing to embrace our brothers and sisters who are seeking a better life. We have given a number of Haitian nationals citizenship, permanent residency as well as work permits so that they can live dignified lives in our beautiful country.
“However, it is indeed a reasonable expectation for all Haitian nationals to respect the laws of this country. In the recent past, a number of Haitian nationals along with Dominican captives have been arrested in some neighboring islands for illegally entering their countries by boat from Dominica. The Government of Dominica has a fundamental duty to our national and regional security and safety,” he lamented.
If this unwanted activity persists, Blackmoore has indicated that the necessary actions will be taken to curb the behavior.
“Let me make it clear that as the minister responsible for National Security and Home Affairs, I am not going to stand for that nonsense. I am not ruling out having the Police round up all undocumented Haitian nationals to have them return to their country as soon as possible.
“I am therefore calling on the Police to use all necessary means and measures to apprehend all those responsible for these illegal acts. I am also calling on all law-abiding Haitians residing in Dominica, the hard-working people and most of them are law-abiding people.
“So I am calling on you to work with the Police and the Ministry of Home affairs to bring an end to this madness. I can say to you that the leaders of the various countries have been calling and expressing their disgust. We have a responsibility, a collective responsibility as Dominicans and as a community to bring an end to this illegal act,” Blackmoore, a former law enforcement official posited.
Also expressing concern is Commissioner of Police Daniel Carbon, who has called on members of the general public to assist the Police in ending this illegal “trade”.
“My call is the communities. Dominica has a lot of porous borders and we have a lot of beaches. We have a lot of so-called fishermen with boats and engines. We have a lot of pirates in that regard. So, we need the intelligence in real-time.
“We are very committed and we are having task force assigned to the patrols to prevent these types of activities. We do robust and unpredictable patrols both on land and on sea. People in the communities know what is happening. It is a fact.
“Give us the intelligence when the boats are leaving. We have our own intelligence but provide us with more intelligence because we are committed to fighting the cause. Many Haitians are leaving Dominica illegally,” he pleaded.
According to these officials, those responsible for aiding the Haitians and condoning their activities are culpable under the laws and they should be ashamed of themselves.
Over the years, several individuals trying to enter the neighboring islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe have perished on this dangerous voyage.