Dominican@s por Derecho (DxD), the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL), Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights (RFKHR) and the Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion (ISI) Joint submission to the Universal Periodic Review Dominican Republic Introduction 1. Dominican@s por Derecho (DxD)1, the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL)2, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights (RFKHR)3 and the Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion (ISI)4 presented to the Human Rights Council, within the framework of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), this joint submission on the right to nationality and the human rights challenges related to statelessness in the Dominican Republic. 2. This submission focuses on violations towards the right to nationality, discrimination and arbitrary expulsions of Dominican people of Haitian descent and Haitian people. The report will address: I) recommendations issued in previous UPR cycles and by UN Treaty Bodies; II) international obligations of the State related to the right to nationality and statelessness; III) national law relevant to the right to nationality; IV) updates on the deficient implementation of Law 169-14; V) impact of immigration restrictions on the rights of people of Haitian ancestry and victims of arbitrary expulsions, particularly pregnant women, children and adolescents, and victims of trafficking; VI) restrictions on access to social rights of the people of Haitian descent; VII) increase in hatred and acts of violence antiimmigrant; VIII) recommendations. I. Recommendations issued in previous cycles of the UPR and other human rights bodies 3. The Dominican Republic has been subject to review by the Human Rights Council within the 1 DxD is a collective of civil society organizations that promotes equal access and free of discrimination to all public services related to civil registration, documentation and identity in the Dominican Republic. The collective is made up of: Dominican-Haitian Women's Movement (MUDHA), Socio-Cultural Movement for Haitian Workers (MOSCTHA), Center for Sustainable Development (CEDESO), Caribbean Migrants Observatory (OBMICA) . For more information, see: https://dominicanosxderecho.wordpress.com/. 2 CEJIL is a regional non-governmental human rights organization that contributes to the full enjoyment of human rights in the Americas through the effective use of the instruments of the Inter-American Human Rights System and other international mechanisms for the protection of human rights. CEJIL represents various cases from various countries before the IAHRS, including the Dominican Republic. For more information, see: https://cejil.org/. 3 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights (RFKHR) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that has worked to realise Robert F. Kennedy's dream of a more just and peaceful world since 1968. In partnership with local activists, we advocate for key human rights issues, pursuing strategic litigation at home and around the world. And to ensure lasting change, we foster a socially sound approach to business and investing and educate millions of students about human rights and social justice. For more information, see: https://rfkhumanrights.org/. 4 ISI is the first and only human rights NGO dedicated to working on the right to nationality at a global level. ISI's mission is to promote inclusive societies by realizing and protecting everyone's right to a nationality. ISI has submitted to the UPR more than 100 specific reports on the human rights of stateless persons. In addition, ISI has compiled summaries on human rights challenges related to statelessness in all countries reviewed between the 23rd and 43rd sessions of the UPR. For more information, see: https://www.institutesi.org/. 1