Switzerland - IOM Director General William Lacy Swing urged authorities in the Dominican Republic this week to extend the period of registration to regularize the migration status of thousands of Haitian migrants under what is known as General Migration Law 285-04.

“Too many of those concerned face serious difficulty in securing documents in the country, and thus need extra time and assistance to make their applications. We appeal to the authorities to continue to work with those subject to the General Migration Law and their employers beyond the Regularization Plan deadline," Ambassador Swing said.  Large scale deportations must be avoided, he added.

The registration period affecting hundreds of thousands of residents of the Caribbean island expired at midnight on June 17th, thousands of whom were still arriving at government offices throughout the final day of eligibility as the registration period drew to a close.

IOM remains concerned that many applicants would not be able to complete their paperwork in time to qualify for a chance to remain in the country, many of whom support dependents either in the Dominican Republic or in Haiti, and in some cases, perhaps both.

For further information please contact Joel Millman, IOM Geneva, Tel +41 22 717 9486, Email: jmillman@iom.int