NewsWhore
03-23-2009, 04:30 PM
Interior and Police Minister Franklin Almeyda announced on Saturday that a pilot plan will be launched in Las Terrenas, Cabarete, Boca Chica and border towns with Haiti to digitalize biometric details of all foreigners in the DR, regardless of whether they are in the country legally or illegally. Almeyda says one of the objectives is to protect foreigners' identity, whether or not they have ID documents. He said that they would be recording biometrical data in order to have a registry of people who have entered regardless whether they have done so legally or illegally. All foreigners arriving by sea, land or air will be documented with the registration of data on their foreign identity papers.
The project is being run by the National Migration Council (CNM) with the collaboration of the Central Electoral Board (JCE) Administrative Chamber. The units used for issuing drivers' licenses will be used for this program.
As reported in Listin Diario, the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is backing the project, on the grounds that it will facilitate the control of migration flows through the border and will help restrict the entry of criminals into the country. He also says it addresses the government's need to count immigrants. Francisco Leonardo, speaking for the JRS, says it is a step forward towards regulating migration in the context of migrant workers' rights. He said that once they are identified, it would reduce the job insecurity they experience when contracted for farm or construction work.
The project aims to register the biometric data of all foreigners who enter the DR, no matter how long they will be staying. Listin Diario establishes that the number assigned to the foreigner does not determine their status and is merely for identification purposes. For more information, see www.seip.gob.do (http://www.seip.gob.do)
Meanwhile, some 1.5 million Dominicans have already registered their biometric data, but the process has been delayed by a conflict with SOMO, the company that was originally contracted for the job.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#4)
The project is being run by the National Migration Council (CNM) with the collaboration of the Central Electoral Board (JCE) Administrative Chamber. The units used for issuing drivers' licenses will be used for this program.
As reported in Listin Diario, the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is backing the project, on the grounds that it will facilitate the control of migration flows through the border and will help restrict the entry of criminals into the country. He also says it addresses the government's need to count immigrants. Francisco Leonardo, speaking for the JRS, says it is a step forward towards regulating migration in the context of migrant workers' rights. He said that once they are identified, it would reduce the job insecurity they experience when contracted for farm or construction work.
The project aims to register the biometric data of all foreigners who enter the DR, no matter how long they will be staying. Listin Diario establishes that the number assigned to the foreigner does not determine their status and is merely for identification purposes. For more information, see www.seip.gob.do (http://www.seip.gob.do)
Meanwhile, some 1.5 million Dominicans have already registered their biometric data, but the process has been delayed by a conflict with SOMO, the company that was originally contracted for the job.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#4)