Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has announced that his government plans to commence regularization of work permits to Haitian nationals in the coming weeks.
In recent times Haitian nationals living in Dominica have raised concerns over non extension of pay and renewal of work permits.
In October 2020, Attorney-at-Law, Joshua Francis, called on the state to exercise discretion in the manner in which the Haitian nationals in Dominica are being treated.
Dominica News Online (DNO) understands that in an effort to cure what French officials say are serious problems created by human-trafficking by Haitian nationals from Dominica, according to state officials the state responded by its refusal to provide extension of stay to Haitians and that includes persons with work permits.
“Our Haitian brothers and sisters who are here and who have been waiting for their work permits to be renewed, we are looking forward to commencing the regularization of these work permits in the coming weeks,” he revealed.
According to the PM the Minister of National Security and Home Affairs will indicate the conditions under which those work permits will be granted, “and we look forward to doing this.”
Skerrit mentioned previously in an edition of his weekly Anou Palay programme that there are many Haitians who have been exceptional persons in the community, “they have done tremendous good in our country, but there are some who are bent on breaking the law.”
“We are not an island unto ourselves, we are part of the global security architecture and we have a duty to secure our country and we also have an obligation to assist in the securing of other countries,” he remarked.
He pointed out that during this Covid period he received calls from the Prime Minister of St Maarten, the Prime Minister of St Kitts & Nevis and from the authorities in Guadeloupe and Martinique and the landing on these countries a significant number of Haitian nationals who came from Dominica.
Skerrit said Haitian nationals are welcomed to visit Dominica, but they must leave legally through the ports they came in, “not illegally and to place yourself and your children at risk.”
“So we had to try to bring some order to the situation and so we have put a new system in place to facilitate the granting of work permits and residencies,” he explained.
I love and respect the Haitian people. But if you think of them just as potential voters we’re in deep. Because there’s 10 million of them and they can quickly overrun your tiny population (which is already happening, that’s mostly who u see around Roseau streets anyway) if you do not plan for the influx honestly and seriously. Stop disrespecting them strictly for votes, think of ways to help them stay in their country; they are PEOPLE too.
There is also a lot of Haitians who go to Dominica to find their way to the Unites States whatever way the succeed in doing so.
When I was travelling to Dominica, I met one of them at the Barbados Airport; somehow we ended up in conversation, and when he told me that he was going to Dominica, I told him that I am from Dominica.
I think that he asked me about my people in Dominica, when I told him that I was from Giraudel, he started mentioning all my relatives and told me that he lived in Giraudel–very strange to me!
He said that he was returning there because the embassy in Barbados had refused his application for a visa to go the USA. What he never told me was that his nationality was Haitian. I found out when I spoke with my uncle from whom he was renting.
That was when I realized that he didn’t get the visa because of his two national identity. If they are getting Dominican passport, what more do they want?
I think they should have a database of all who have been here for years working and who their employers are. Employers are required to pay income tax and social security for all their workers.
Now whether haitian or domincans leave backdoor to another territory has nothing to do with haitians wanting to stay here to work. Backdoor movements have been happening since the days of christopher columbus. Those who have been here for a number of years working and owning businesses, just approve their thing. new ones in transit just here without work or a letter from an employer or residency permit have to leave. deport them. thats how its done in other countries. But, that would be easy if Haiti were not now part of CARICOM. So here is where it can get even trickier.
Well you knew that they were coming in droves before the elections but you turned a blind eye because you benefitted from the situation. Now you are stuck with them. Where are the jobs in Dominica when we have 30%-40% unemployment. Haitians are already farmers, security officers, tailors, barbers , garbage collectors, bus drivers, construction workers, farm labourers ect. They are just taking the few jobs that we have.
Haiti has over 11 million people. We cannot solve their problem. Dominica is just being used as an illegal transit point.
Where are the jobs? Skerrit realize that the court is gonna rule against him so he is sowing chaos.
Where are the jobs ?all wickid men will pay..government canmot and should not jus issue work permit for issuing sake
Where are the jobs,? Lord god..when will the wickid die…
@St.joe observers, you are one of the many on this comment board who cannot think nothing positive that comes from PM Skerrit and his governing body, with your “Skerrit realize that the court is gonna rule against him” but how foolish”!
Where, in the World have you read about a court of the country ruling directly against its own government for the sake of a group of immigrants?
If that was true then the World would be more upside down than it is today, because all immigrants groups would just be going to the courts of wherever they are to get what they want, from a country that do not belong to them. Is that not a nonsense thought to speak out?
You people need to show some form of respect to the Government of your country–that Law is in the New Testament of the Bible, and the practice started in the Old Testament.
David refused to kill Saul, who wanted to kill him, because he was afraid that God was going to appoint David over him.
While he was running away from Saul, he met him and soldiers fast asleep in a cave, his soldiers we all ready to kill Saul and his soldiers. But David said to them:
“The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.” So David restrained his servants with these words, and did not allow them to rise against Saul.
The reason Saul wanted to kill David was because he was afraid that he would lose name as the King of Israel and he did not want that to happen. Saul ended up killing his own self–this is another story.
So, if that is the case, then immigration court is just a myth? Immigrants have rights. Especially when you are a signatory to a treaty you are obligated to honor it. Haiti and Dominica are CARICOM signatories. So yes, there can be a case where immigrants win against a government, and upheld by the courts.
Unless the Haitians are swimming out to sea, or buying boats, or making boats to ferry themselves out of Dominica illegally, then the problem is definitely with us. It’s Dominicans who transport them out illegally. It’s we who accept bribes and other forms of under the table payment for the illegal transportation of Haitian nationals out of the island. probably we should look at this situation from a different angle.
But yes! that is a no brainer. We are facilitating.
Even Haitians can get government to listen to them but Dominicans there moomoo and suffering in silence. They obeah all you we pal awah!
I am happy for the Haitians. Despite the negative way Haitians are sometimes treated, they are generally good people.
Stay here, work and make yourselves. You can do it. Leave Dominica illegally and lose the opportunity you now have.
Again congrats and thanks to the Government of Dominica for giving the Haitians the opportunity to work legally in Dominica
Well, all of the Haitians who are here legally should have had work permits to begin with. Whichever nationality who comes to live and work here should be bringing something tangible, progressive and constructive to the table. Otherwise,
what we think is a bad socio-economic situation now will be much worse five to ten years from now.
The Haitians are hard working people who share our colonial history and dreams of a better life. They know what it is to gwayay…what it is to take home far less than they can live on in spite of working 8+ hour day. They know what it is to want to work but not having the opportunities.
However, they cannot be allowed to come into Dominica in droves with no skills to offer. So, the work permit is a great place to start to add them to the farming, construction, and other sectors that need them. If our young men can go happily to Canada and the USA as farm workers, we can work out something with the Haitians for DECENT wages.