The Stream

Dominicans say #BeFairWithDR after international outcry over immigration policy

Citizens respond to accusations of racism and boycott calls of the Dominican Republic.

As pressure mounts on the Dominican Republic to halt expected deportations of migrants, mostly of Haitian descent, Dominicans are defending the country’s policies.

The campaign comes in response to an international outcry over fears of mass deportations following the June 17 deadline for hundreds of thousands of migrants to legalise their status. While such deportations have yet to take place, more than 12,000 Haitians have reportedly voluntarily left the Dominican Republic over fears that a crackdown on their communities may become violent. The government calls these fears “unfounded”. 

Angered by the international portrayal of their country, Dominicans have taken to Twitter, using #BeFairWithDR and, in Spanish, #SeamosJustosConRD to defend the country’s policies: