The Global Haitian Diaspora Federation urged the US Department of State and Organization of American States to address a Dominican Republic court ruling that retroactively revoked citizenship for black Dominicans of foreign descent since 1929. The ruling violates international laws and conventions, and renders over 200,000 people stateless. It also lays the groundwork for possible ethnic cleansing similar to a 1937 massacre that killed 30,000 Dominicans of Haitian descent. The Federation is urging international pressure to force the Dominican government to remedy the situation and prevent further human rights violations.

1.
Committee
On
Migration
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Contact Sandra Thomas (786) 218 7161
Haitian Diaspora urged US and OAS to address
Dominican Republic Anti-Black Statelessness Court Ruling.
Washington DC, November 5, 2013 -- On November 4, 2013, a five-member delegation of the
committee migration of The Global Haitian Diaspora Federation (GHDF), led by its chairman, Dr.
Bernier Lauredan and Stanley Lucas, Co-Chair met with the US Department of State (USDOS), the
Organization of American States (OAS) and Members of Congress to urge a comprehensive solution for
black Dominicans, mainly of Haitian descent, that have been stripped of their Dominican citizenship by
the ruling 168/13 of the Dominican Constitutional Tribunal.
On September 23, 2013, the Dominican Republic’s Constitutional Court retroactively revoked the
nationality of all black Dominicans of foreign descent going back to 1929. On October 23, 2013, the
National Immigration Council, headed by President Danilo Medina, reiterated its commitment to
implement the ruling within thirty days. According to Dominican constitutional law experts, the Court
decision violates basic international law, Dominican constitutional law, and thirteen articles of their current
constitution. All Dominican constitutions through 2010 based nationality on the Jus Soli – if you are born
in the Dominican Republic, you are Dominican. The Court ruling violates four international conventions: 1)
the convention on the elimination of race discrimination; 2) the convention on the elimination of
discrimination against women; 3) the convention on the rights of the child; and 4) the universal declaration
of human rights. The ruling effectively renders Haitian Dominicans and other citizens stateless, depriving
them of their civil, civic, inheritance, and property rights.
“During the 1937’s
Perejil Massacre, a minority of D.R. ultra-nationalists murdered some 30,000
Dominicans of Haitian decent, proffering that Dominicans of Haitian decent were NOT Dominicans
because they are “BLACK,” said Dr. Bernier Lauredan, chairman of the committee. “This Ruling lays the
ground for similar ethnic cleansing,” he added.
The Global Haitian Diaspora Federation urges USDOS and OAS to work with the Executive and
Legislative Branch of the Dominican Republic to address this multilateral and regional threat. This ruling
has already been condemned by the Interamerican Commission of Human Rights, The United Nations
High Commission for Human Rights, CARICOM, the Robert Kennedy Center for Justice and Human
Rights, and the Congressional Black Caucus of the United States Congress. Because this decision
impacts many CARICOM countries, GHDF urges the Organization of American States and the United
States to continue to treat this ruling as a multilateral issue and not a bilateral Haiti-Dominican matter as
some Dominican officials have insisted.
While the Global Haitian Diaspora Federation urges the worldwide Haitian Diaspora and the general
public to continue the peaceful protests until this issue is resolved, it will continue work with the
progressive sectors of Dominican society, Governments, international and multilateral institutions, think
tank and others to educate everyone on this regional threat of apartheid.
The Global Haitian Diaspora Federation is the bridge between the Diaspora communities and Haiti.
UNITED
WE
SUCCEED