Dominica’s Borders Reopen to Citizens on July 15 and to Visitors on August 7
Dominica’s borders are to reopen to citizens on July 15th and to visitors on August 7, 2020. This “time horizon” was announced by the Minister for National Security and Home Affairs, Honourable Rayburn Blackmoore after due consultation with PM Roosevelt Skerrit.
He revealed that the time-frame came about to allow for proper implementation of health safeguards so that people who are coming into the country do not import the dreaded COVID-19 disease into Dominica. He added that global health situations will continue to be monitored to determine the progression of the pandemic, and that the stipulated time-frame for reopening the borders may be modified in response.
Your government has not taken the decision to immediately reopen our borders, but instead has put in place a well thought-of time horizon with proper methods and protocols to reopen our borders on July 15th and August 7th. This time horizon can be changed based on circumstances surrounding the control and management of the spread of this deadly virus overseas.
Rayburn Blackmoore: Minister for National Security and Home Affairs
He noted that the reopening and movement of people across borders will be strictly coordinated by the Ministry of National Security, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Tourism with the support of Customs and Immigration.
Meanwhile, Blackmoore has warned Haitians who leave the country illegally by boat to other countries, threatening that the government might arrest all undocumented Haitians in Dominica and return them to their country. He also warned Dominican boat operators who aid Haitians to leave the country illegally, saying they will be punished under the law since they are compromising the national security of the nation.
We have given a number of Haitian nationals citizenship, permanent residency as well as work permits so that they can live dignified lives in our country. I am not ruling out having the police rounding up all undocumented Haitian nationals to have them returned to their country as soon as possible. To the Dominicans who aid and abet by illegally transporting the poor Haitian nationals, you are equally responsible culpable under the law and you should be ashamed of yourself.
Rayburn Blackmoore: Minister for National Security and Home Affairs
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