Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe and several members of his cabinet met with Dominican officials including Gustavo Montalvo, chief of staff to Dominican President Danilo Medina, on Tuesday as part of a newly formed bilateral commission. The group discussed various issues including the controversial September 23 ruling that would strip descendants of Haitian migrants of their citizenship, as well as commerce, migration, and security.
The discussion, which took place in the Haitian town of Ouanaminthe on the border with the Dominican Republic, marked the launch of several planned monthly meetings for the commission. While the ruling by the Constitutional Court cannot be appealed, representatives of the United Nations, European Union and CARICOM have agreed to observe the discussions in the hopes that the two countries can find a solution to the decision that would affect approximately 200,000 Dominicans.
The Dominican Republic has faced international criticism for the decision which would retroactively revoke citizenship for Dominicans who are descendants of undocumented immigrants who migrated to the country after 1929. The ruling would leave thousands of people stateless, as many Dominicans of Haitian descent do not possess Haitian citizenship.
The next bilateral meeting is scheduled for February 3 in the Dominican Republic.
