With the presence of President Abinader
SANTO DOMINGO.- With the presence of the President of the Republic, Luis Rodolfo Abinader, the General Directorate of Migration (DGM) signed a collaboration agreement today with the governments of the territorial demarcations into which the country is divided to strengthen migration policies, increase the efficiency of repatriations, and protect national sovereignty.
The strategic alliance represents a resounding endorsement of the recent measures announced by the government to combat irregular immigration in the country, particularly in the area of local governments collaborating with the DGM, primarily in matters related to the provision of public services and the social integration of citizens.
The document was signed by Vice Admiral Luis Rafael Lee Ballester, head of the DGM; Víctor D’Aza, president of the Dominican Municipal League; Nelson Núñez, president of the Dominican Federation of Municipalities; and Leoncito José, president of the Dominican Federation of Municipal Districts.
According to the agreement, the DGM will lead and execute interdiction and repatriation operations, verify the immigration status of detained foreigners, and collect biometric data from interdicted illegal aliens at the location where they were detained.
Local governments, led by mayors and municipal district directors, must identify and report areas with a high concentration of irregular migrants, oversee the sale of land adjacent to the border, prevent the construction of housing and the development of settlements where irregular migrants could be located, and prevent them from being employed in municipal offices and spaces.
They must also provide logistics support (municipal staff, transportation, and office space—if necessary), facilitate access to basic infrastructure for operations, and participate in information campaigns about regular migration.
The agreement also includes the Provincial Governments, which will serve as a bridge between the DGM and other provincial government actors to support mediation with communities that may oppose interdiction operations and who will be required to channel community reports regarding suspected cases of human trafficking.
The meeting’s main panel, in addition to President Abinader and the signatories, included José Ignacio Paliza, Minister of the Presidency, and Carolina Mejía, Mayor of the National District.
The agreement was signed in the halls of the LMD and was attended by mayors and municipal directors from across the country.
Communications Directorate