President of the Dominica-Haiti Friendship Association, Joubert Cazeneuve, has revealed that a host of his countrymen are fleeing Dominica illegally because they lacked work permits. Cazeneuve lamented that the government of Dominica is not granting his fellow Haitians work permits, and this is making life very difficult for many of them.
Since they are at risk of being arrested for either overstaying their visas or lacking a valid work permit, Cazeneuve said many of his countrymen flee Dominica through the back door. He made it clear that he does not approve of anyone leaving or entering the country illegally, but asserted that given the frustration that comes from being jobless and the risk of arrest, many Haitians choose the hard way out.
The Dominica-Haiti Friendship Association president disclosed that he lost several job opportunities himself when he first arrived to Dominica. He regretted that many Haitians are not able to contribute to the economic growth of the country since they lacked the official permit to engage in lucrative employments.
While Cazenueve does not deny the fact that some Haitians have been caught doing illegal things in Dominica, he cautioned against putting all Haitians in Dominica in the same basket. He said economic pressure may have pushed some Haitians to engage in unlawful deeds, but the majority of his countrymen are not like that and they should not be stigmatized for the folly of a select few.
This article is copyright © 2021 DOM767
