Santo Domingo – For every three Dominicans abroad, there is one immigrant in the Dominican Republic. This is one of the conclusions of the first Migration Profile of the Dominican Republic, launched yesterday (15/02) by the UN Migration Agency (IOM) and the National Institute of Migration of the Dominican Republic (INM).

The statistical data included in the profile shows that 524,632 of the 10 million inhabitants of that country are people born abroad. In total, 87.3 per cent of migrants residing in the Dominican Republic come from Haiti.

Among the main findings of the study is that immigration in the country has become more urban. In the 20th century, those who came from the countryside to the cities were Dominicans, while now those who arrive in the towns are immigrants.

Furthermore, it concludes that the Dominican population abroad continues to increase and that the descendants of the emigrants mark a new scenario for the Dominican diaspora. The contribution of these emigrants is reflected in the remittances reported by the Central Bank, which for 2016 exceeded USD 5.2 billion, and in 2017 rose to nearly USD 6 billion.

Jorge Baca, IOM’s Chief of Mission in the Dominican Republic, noted that “in analyzing the last 15 years, there are solid arguments to affirm that the Dominican Republic has new migration governance today.” According to the Migration Profile, this new governance began in 2002 with the criminalization of human trafficking and deepened since 2011 with the entry into force of new laws and regulations, as well as the creation of new institutions, among them, the National Migration Institute and the Specialized Procurator’s Office for Trafficking.

This governance has had unprecedented results, such as the regularization of 260,000 immigrants and the gathering of valuable information on migration issues through the Immigration National Survey.

The profile recommends continuing with institutional strengthening, guaranteeing the sustainability of the results of the new migration governance, and putting into practice instruments included in the regulatory framework to favour dignified, safe and regular migration. Also, it is suggested to consider the contributions of orderly labour migration and the role of Diasporas in the development of the country.

An essential challenge of the new governance is the measurement of results following the guidelines of the migration policy contemplated in the National Development Strategy to 2030, and in turn, integrating goals and indicators of the Sustainable Development Goals.

With this document, the Dominican Republic joins a group of over 80 countries that have carried out migration profiles with a methodology designed by IOM. This profile was assembled by a team of professionals formed by INM and IOM officials, and consultants linked to the academic sector. 

The report was carried out thanks to the support of the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) of the US State Department.

Download the Migration Profile here (Spanish).

For more information please contact Alicia Sangro at IOM Dominican Republic, Tel: +809 688 8174,
Email: asangro@iom.int