Dominican Republic begins constructing border wall with Haiti

SANTO DOMINGO (Reuters) – The Dominican authorities on Sunday started constructing a wall that can cowl greater than half of the 392-kilometre (244 miles) border with Haiti, its solely land neighbor, to cease irregular migration and the smuggling of products, weapons and medicines.

Whereas the 2 nations share the island of Hispaniola, they’re worlds aside by way of growth. Crime-plagued Haiti is likely one of the poorest nations within the Americas whereas the Dominican Republic, a preferred Caribbean vacationer vacation spot, has prospered in latest many years amid marked political stability.

Many Haitians cross the border clandestinely in the hunt for work within the fields or within the building trade within the Dominican Republic.

“The profit for each nations will likely be of nice significance,” stated Dominican President Luis Abinader shortly earlier than pushing the button to start pouring concrete into the foundations of what would be the wall within the province of Dajabón, some 230 kilometers northwest of the capital.

About 500,000 Haitians and tens of hundreds of their descendents dwell within the Dominican Republic, a Spanish-speaking nation of about 11 million individuals, in response to the newest immigration survey performed in 2018.

Abinader estimated the border wall will scale back the smuggling of business items, weapons and assist struggle organized crime in each nations.

He began the undertaking, which goals to construct a 164 kilometer wall, forward of the anniversary of the Dominican Republic’s independence from Haiti on Feb. 27, 1844.

Abinader stated the primary section of the undertaking will likely be accomplished inside 9 months on the newest.

The 20-centimetre-thick concrete wall topped by a steel mesh will likely be 3.9 meters (12.8 ft) excessive and can have fiber optics for communications, motion sensors, cameras, radars and drones.

The undertaking additionally contains the development of 70 watchtowers and 41 entry gates for patrolling.

(Reporting by Ezequiel Abiu; Writing by Drazen Jorgic; modifying by Grant McCool)