The Dominican Republic will begin pinning its 234-mile border with Haiti – with fences and remote sensors – as it tries to control undocumented migration and drug trafficking, President Luis Abinader said.
Speaking to Congress on Saturday, Abinader said the barrier would begin in the second half and would include “double fencing along the most intricate routes and a single fence along the remaining routes.” He also said new border controls would include facial recognition technology, motion detectors and infrared cameras.
“Within two years, we want to end the serious problems of illegal immigration, drug trafficking and the transportation of stolen vehicles – problems we have suffered from for years,” he said during an annual union address that marked the country’s independence from in the 19th century Haiti marked.
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The border fence is another reminder of how different the two nations are, despite sharing the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. The Spanish-speaking Dominican Republic on the east side of the island has one of the largest and fastest growing economies in the region, while Creole-speaking Haiti to the west is the poorest country in the hemisphere.
Abinader’s announcement comes amid renewed unrest in Haiti. Last week, two Dominican brothers and their Haitian interpreter were kidnapped in the capital, Port-au-Prince. And on Thursday, a massive prison break in Haiti resulted in a manhunt that left at least two dozen people dead. Protests against the government are also expected on Sunday.
Despite the new fence, Abinader said he was determined to help his neighbor. In the past few weeks the Dominican Republic has issued ID cards to undocumented Haitians and has plans to build maternity clinics in Haiti.
“We want a mutually beneficial relationship with Haiti,” Abinader said.
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