Irregular migration and the smuggling of goods, guns, and drugs have become very popular in the Dominican Republic last year which prompted the Dominican government to construction of a wall that will span nearly half of the country’s 392-kilometer (244-mile) border with Haiti, its sole land neighbour, on Sunday.
While the two countries share the island of Hispaniola, their development levels are poles apart. Haiti, afflicted by crime, is one of the poorest countries in the Americas, whereas the Dominican Republic, a major Caribbean tourist destination, has thrived in recent decades under notable political stability.
Many Haitians cross the border illegally in search of work in the Dominican Republic’s agriculture or construction industries.
“The advantage for both nations will be significant,” Dominican President Luis Abinader said shortly before pressing the button to start pouring concrete into the foundations of the wall in the province of Dajabón, about 230 kilometres northwest of the capital.
According to the most current immigration study completed in 2018, over 500,000 Haitians and tens of thousands of their descendants live in the Dominican Republic, a Spanish-speaking nation of approximately 11 million people.
According to Abinader, the border wall will curb smuggling of commercial commodities, firearms, and aid in the fight against organised crime in both countries.
He began the project, which intends to construct a 164-kilometer wall, ahead of the Dominican Republic’s independence from Haiti on February 27, 1844.
According to Abinader, the first phase of the project will be done in nine months at the most.
The 3.9-meter (12.8-foot) high concrete wall will be topped by a metal mesh and will feature fibre optics for communications, movement sensors, cameras, radars, and drones.
The project also includes the construction of 70 watchtowers and 41 patrol entry gates.
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