In the Dominican Republic, Haitians and their descendants have existed at the margins of Dominican society. Long standing racial tensions and recent immigration policy changes have created conditions that place ethnic Haitians at risk of deportation and statelessness.
Anse-à-Pitres, Haiti-- Emani Escaliste, 35 years old, has her hair done by one of her daughters, Sara Noel, 6 years old. She was threatened and her house was burnt down. Her children were all born in the Dominican Republic but have been since declared residents of Haiti.
As a result, many ethnic Haitians who are left with limited options have fled the D.R.; many have been forcibly deported during immigration raids. Many of those who remain are no longer seen as Dominicans and are deprived of basic human rights such as education and security. Meanwhile in Haiti, settlements housing the displaced continue to swell along the border.
Anse-à-Pitres, Haiti- Francia 19 years holds her 18-day old baby Dabeus Pierre. She was born in the Dominican Republic but has no identity papers. Her baby was born the Haitian displacement camp where she now lives after leaving D.R. because she had been threatened by people with machetes.
As I write this, they continue to live in limbo.
Batey “El Prado”, Dominican Republic: Dani Poliep, 23, is an Haitian migrant who works in a sugarcane plantation who migrated to the Dominican Republic in 2005. She doesn’t have the documents to remain and says she feels discouraged of getting the required papers due to racism she experienced at the local government offices in El Seibo. She is worried about the nationality of her unborn child and her other child who are currently considered stateless-- without documents in D.R. and Haiti.
El Seibo, Dominican Republic: Amantine Gabriel migrated to the Dominican Republic to work in the sugarcane fields 30 years ago and says she no longer knows anyone in Haiti. Years ago her Dominican residency was sponsored by the company she was laboring for- a common practice. No longer valid, she successfully registered in the National Regularization Plan and has been given a temporary residency permit. It is valid for only one year.
Anse-à-Pitres, Haiti- Peres Antonio Ines, 52, has been living at a displacement camp for 2 months. He had been living in D.R. for 6 years until his Dominican neighbours started making death threats and he fled to Haiti.
Anse-à-Pitres, Haiti - Jean Julien, 13, is from from the Dominican Republic. His parents are Haitian agricultural workers who left DR after neighbours made death threats with axes and machetes. He has completed third grade in the Dominican Republic school system and dreams of becoming a teacher.
El Seibo, Dominican Republic: Felipe Pie Monaus is 17 years and was born in the Dominican Republic. Felipe has been registered for Dominican born children of Haitian descent but has not yet received his documents. As a result, he can no longer continue school and works in the sugarcane fields.
Anse-à-Pitres, Haiti- Lissainville Clauvil (12) and Emanuel Delbyu (9) were both born in Dominican Republic. They both miss their home in the Dominican. Both their parents are Haitian and the boys are now in possession of Haitian documents.
Anse-à-Pitres, Haiti,- Jovina Terrello, 15, (right) who was born in Dominican Republic is now stateless and living in a displacement camp for the past five months. She lives with her mother Incecia Noel, 37 years, (left) and her newly born child Naika. Although born in the D.R., Jovina’s birth was never registered with Dominican authorities and as a result is not a documented citizen there. She doesn’t know anyone in Haiti. but they left having felt threatened from repeated reports on the radio asking Haitians to leave that did not have proper identification.
Anse-à-Pitres, Haiti, - Eduard Pierre Pascal, 27, is the person responsible for the displacement camp where he lives . He was born in Dominican Republic to Haitian parents, he was a business owner in the Dominican before he returned to Haiti to care for his ill father. Born in the Dominican Republic, Eduard hasn't become a citizen of the Dominican Republic because he says he cannot afford the expenses of the Naturalization Plan
This issue is complex and bureaucratic. But what can be easily understood is that the Dominican civil registry has no record of their existence, however, this portrait series confirms the contrary— giving a face to the tens of thousands affected.