[DR1] Invisible in Villa Mella

[NewsWhore]

Somewhat like Asleep in Seattle, or Alive in New York, the idea that hundreds of people are "invisible in Villa Mella" seems like a fantasy. It is, however, the truth. There are entire families, including persons 90+ years old that do not even have a birth certificate and are thus, invisible. Braulio Alcantara, the official in charge of the Fifth District of the Civil Registry blamed the situation on complicities within the Civil Registry offices as well as delays in the Justice Department. He also put a lot of the blame on irresponsible parents. He pointed out that in Sabana Perdida about 40-45% of all the people are undocumented, with no birth certificate.


Alcantara said that even when there are special "late registration" sessions, many parents do not show up because of laziness. Currently, late birth registrations need to be looked at by the justice Department and investigated by an assistant prosecutor. Alcantara said that some of these late registrations take up to a year to clear the legalities. As he participated in the seminar organized by Plan International, the Jesuit Service for Refugees and Migrants and the Faculty of Political and Judicial Science at the UASD, the civil registry official said that he estimated that between 10% and 15% of the total population was without official documents.

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