NewsWhore
11-02-2010, 03:10 PM
Haitian workers for years have moved to Punta Cana to live in barracks and work on the construction of the resorts. The living conditions offered by the construction companies were not acceptable for Dominicans. But for the Haitians, they were an improvement over their state of joblessness and indigence in Haiti. Local constructors were under price pressures by international hotel companies to cut costs so the option of saving on worker benefits by hiring thousands of workers that came from Haiti became the norm.
Once the construction projects finished, many Haitians stayed on, working on new projects, or finding jobs as gardeners, maids, and other menial jobs. Others moved into jobs as front desk clerks, thanks to their French language skills. Meanwhile, local migration, labor and health authorities just looked the other way.
Now, the complaints are increasing about the shantytowns in Bavaro where the Haitian workers live and commute back and forth to Haiti, when they are not in construction or hotel employee barracks.
El Caribe reports that there are no migration controls or sanitation in these towns, known as Haiti Chiquito in Bavaro and Pequeno Haiti in Higuey, or Hoyo de Fruisa, Mata Mosquito, Pueblo Nuevo and El Cerro. El Caribe says that reporters were able to see 40 Haitians sharing one dwelling in Hoyo de Friusa.
The newspaper points out that the presence of the Haitians is so prevalent, there are now radio stations that play music in Creole and in places such as El Cerro in Higuey, there are discotheques and stores catering exclusively to the Haitian migrants.
Ernesto Veloz, president of the Association of Hotels and Tourism Projects in the Eastern Region, told El Caribe that, "It is a delicate situation. The first problem that we have is that Migration does not work. The office is there at the Politur headquarters, but it is not in operation," he says. Veloz fears that the unregulated mass presence of Haitians in tourist areas could lead to the spread of disease, as many commute back and forth to Haiti.
Senator Amable Aristy Castro and economist Ruben Dario Castillo say the hoteliers are to blame for the mass presence of Haitians in the area. He says they are the ones that contract them and pay them very low wages. The pace of hotel and real estate construction in the Punta Cana area has slowed. And now El Caribe reports that a high number of Haitians have been involved in crime in the area.
Bishop Nicanor Pena says that while respecting their human rights, the department of Migration needs to set standards for Haitian and other foreign migration in the area.
El Caribe writes that Haitians who come with a basic level of education from Haiti and learn more than one language find jobs in the area as tour guides and front desk clerks. Hotels also employ hundreds of Haitians that have graduated from the Dominican public school system and speak two languages.
The Association of Hotels estimates that there are over 18,000 Haitians living in the region. But former mayor of Veron, Maria Veron, puts the number at more than 60,000. She says that more than 85% of the motorbike-taxi drivers in the area are Haitians.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#6)
Once the construction projects finished, many Haitians stayed on, working on new projects, or finding jobs as gardeners, maids, and other menial jobs. Others moved into jobs as front desk clerks, thanks to their French language skills. Meanwhile, local migration, labor and health authorities just looked the other way.
Now, the complaints are increasing about the shantytowns in Bavaro where the Haitian workers live and commute back and forth to Haiti, when they are not in construction or hotel employee barracks.
El Caribe reports that there are no migration controls or sanitation in these towns, known as Haiti Chiquito in Bavaro and Pequeno Haiti in Higuey, or Hoyo de Fruisa, Mata Mosquito, Pueblo Nuevo and El Cerro. El Caribe says that reporters were able to see 40 Haitians sharing one dwelling in Hoyo de Friusa.
The newspaper points out that the presence of the Haitians is so prevalent, there are now radio stations that play music in Creole and in places such as El Cerro in Higuey, there are discotheques and stores catering exclusively to the Haitian migrants.
Ernesto Veloz, president of the Association of Hotels and Tourism Projects in the Eastern Region, told El Caribe that, "It is a delicate situation. The first problem that we have is that Migration does not work. The office is there at the Politur headquarters, but it is not in operation," he says. Veloz fears that the unregulated mass presence of Haitians in tourist areas could lead to the spread of disease, as many commute back and forth to Haiti.
Senator Amable Aristy Castro and economist Ruben Dario Castillo say the hoteliers are to blame for the mass presence of Haitians in the area. He says they are the ones that contract them and pay them very low wages. The pace of hotel and real estate construction in the Punta Cana area has slowed. And now El Caribe reports that a high number of Haitians have been involved in crime in the area.
Bishop Nicanor Pena says that while respecting their human rights, the department of Migration needs to set standards for Haitian and other foreign migration in the area.
El Caribe writes that Haitians who come with a basic level of education from Haiti and learn more than one language find jobs in the area as tour guides and front desk clerks. Hotels also employ hundreds of Haitians that have graduated from the Dominican public school system and speak two languages.
The Association of Hotels estimates that there are over 18,000 Haitians living in the region. But former mayor of Veron, Maria Veron, puts the number at more than 60,000. She says that more than 85% of the motorbike-taxi drivers in the area are Haitians.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#6)