Authorities to work with UNICEF to control influx of Haitian children
While you were here on vacation, did you manage to notice the Haitian children who beg on Dominican streets, or the Haitian children who run up to your car while at the traffic lights to sell you a phonecard, mango, avocado, phone charger or bottle of water? Well, unfortunately, this is part of life in the Dominican Republic for thousands of Haitian kids, some as young as 5 or 6 years of age are out and about on our streets daily trying to earn whatever little cash they can. These kids are more noticeable in tourist towns, such as Sosua, Cabarete, Punta Cana and Bavaro where they beg from tourists and offer their "Limpia-bota" (shoe-shine) service for as little as RD$10 (US$0.27)
In Santo Domingo, the Agency director for Immigration, Sigfrido Pared, has reported that these children are to be picked up and that his department will liaise with Haitian authorities UNICEF in order to re-integrate these kids back into Hatian society. The task is obviously a delicate issue, to which only the appropriate authorites can handle.
Over the past months, Immigration officers have arrested many people and seized vehicles used to distribute these children on Dominican streets which has become a "big business"
Published in
Dominican Republic News Archive
Leave a comment
Make sure you enter the (*) required information where indicated.
Basic HTML code is allowed.
