The Dominican government has begun building a wall that will cover nearly half of the 392-kilometre (244 miles) border with Haiti, in a bid to stop irregular migration and the illegal smuggling of goods, weapons and drugs.
Though the two countries share the island of Hispaniola, they are highly apart in terms of development. Crime-infested Haiti is one of the poorest nations in the Caribbean while the Dominican Republic, a famous Caribbean tourist destination, has excelled in recent decades amid marked political stability.
Many Haitians cross the border secretly to search for work in the fields or in the construction industry in the Dominican Republic.
While talking shortly before pushing the button to commence pouring concrete into the foundations of what will be the wall in the province of Dajabón, some 230 kilometers northwest of the capital, Dominican President Luis Abinader said: “The benefit for both nations will be of great importance.”
According to the most recent immigration survey conducted in 2018, around 500,000 Haitians and thousands of their descendants live in the Dominican Republic, a Spanish-speaking nation of around 11 million people.
Abinader disclosed that the border wall would reduce the smuggling of commercial goods, weapons and help combat organized crime in both nations.
He started the project, which seeks to construct a 164-kilometer wall, ahead of the anniversary of the country’s independence from Haiti on February 27, 1844.
Abinader made it known that the first phase of the project would be completed within nine months.
The 20-centimetre-thick concrete wall capped by a metal mesh will be 3.9 meters (12.8 ft) high and will have fiber optics for drones, communications, movement sensors, cameras and radars.
Also, the project includes the construction of 70 watchtowers and 41 access gates for patrolling.
