Vice Admiral Lee Ballester raises the link between irregular migration and human trafficking and transnational crimeVice Admiral Lee Ballester
-Values efforts for a comprehensive response to these challenges-
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic.- The Director General of Migration, Vice Admiral Luis Rafael Lee Ballester, ARD, stated that human trafficking and smuggling are closely linked to irregular migration and transnational organized crime, and that these scourges continue to be urgent challenges in the region that demand a comprehensive response.
The senior military officer and official explained, in this context, that the Dominican Republic is also identified as a destination country for women victims of trafficking for purposes of sexual exploitation.
He also added that from here there are migratory routes for people in that condition, particularly to countries in Europe, Central America, South America and the Caribbean, mainly Spain, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, Panama, Brazil, Haiti and Argentina, among others.
The head of the DGM presented his opinions at the First International Symposium on Threats, Concerns and Other Challenges Affecting Public Security in the Region, organized by the National Police and held here last Friday and Saturday.
From that perspective, Lee Ballester advocated for the strengthening of international cooperation with the aim of dismantling the transnational networks involved and called for greater action and commitments from States, International Organizations and society to eradicate these illicit practices.
He pointed out that effective immigration control reduces the possibility of human trafficking and smuggling and other threats, and highlighted the efforts being made in the country to confront these evils. He stated that the DGM, in the past year and the first two months of this year, has deported more than 310,685 people of Haitian nationality alone in an irregular immigration status and that, likewise, the institution he heads has charged and brought to justice 88 people in the last five months, in 71 cases that have reported more than 400 victims, most of them foreigners.
He said that the DGM works with specialized agencies, strengthening cooperation and facilitating processes that allow for the care of those who are at risk.
These actions include the exchange of information with the International Police (Interpol), the Attorney General's Office, the National Police, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and other agencies of allied nations to combat transnational networks of human trafficking and smuggling, as well as to assist in cases of requests for voluntary repatriation of migrants at risk.
In light of the challenges outlined, the head of the DGM pointed out the need to strengthen the institution with human resources with the profile required by the modernization and technological updating plan that has been designed in the Institutional Strategic Plan 2025-2028.
He also explained that 160 immigration agents who have been trained under a new training standard will soon graduate.
He said that the DGM will strengthen the technological infrastructure, implementing biometric identification systems, interconnected databases and risk analysis tools that will allow for the optimization of surveillance of migration points, reducing the gaps that facilitate irregular immigration.
Finally, he reiterated that the interdictions continue permanently and that since last January to date, 64,615 Haitian nationals have been repatriated to their country of origin through the border crossings of Pedernales, Jimaní, Elías Piña and Dajabón.
Communications Department