DOMINICAN REPUBLIC In the Dominican Republic, large-scale statelessness (affecting over 130,000 persons) has been caused by the denial and deprivation of nationality of Dominicans of Haitian descent. The watershed and discriminatory 2013 Constitutional Court decision known as ‘La Sentencia’, excluded citizens of foreign ancestry (mainly Haitian descent) from the jus soli system of citizenship acquisition with retroactive effect.5 Law 169-14, adopted in 2014 to palliate the effects of the ruling, is inadequate in scope and UNHCR Representative for the US and the Northern Caribbean, Matthew Reynolds Beneco Enecia, “23 May 2021 sees the seventh anniversary of the so-called naturalisation law 169-14. Distressingly, under half of those eligible to have Dominican documents restored have achieved this. Despite 799 persons of Haitian ancestry being authorised for naturalisation, we are in the dark as to how this can happen.”6 RIGHT TO NATIONALITY, DOCUMENTATION AND LEGAL STATUS Deliberately working within a system of entrenched systemic discrimination perpetuating inequality, racism and xenophobia against Dominicans of Haitian descent, the government on the impact of COVID-19 on Haitian migrants and their descendants in the border region. It conducted 50 in-depth interviews with parents of stateless children and two focus groups, as well as consulting with key stakeholders. The documents to those of Haitian descent born on Dominican soil. Important but slow progress has occurred in that under half of eligible persons have regained their Dominican documents, but nobody has had their naturalisation materialised among the group of persons who were to get married, obtain school diplomas, start a business, get a driver's licence or passport, and a ‘cédula’, the national ID card essential for voting and banking. This has created a multi-generational problem, where entire families lack Dominicans of Haitian descent to conditions of poverty and exclusion, with many living in isolated and impoverished ‘bateyes’.7 Women and girls are especially vulnerable to violence and marginalisation, including forced prostitution, cent years, racist and xenophobic rhetoric has on social media. Human rights defenders, journalists and groups who condemn ‘La Sentencia’ face growing hostility and threats. Exceptional COVID-19 measures inherited from the previous government continue under the Abinader administration which took power in August 2020. Lack of documentation is a barrier to social protection. Affected persons lack medical insurance and clean drinking water, while conditions are dire in impoverished communiernment assistance.8 Civil registry disruption has exacerbated barriers to birth registration. In the Dominican Republic, civil registration services were suspended during the initial stages of the pandemic from March till May 2020, resuming in June 2020. This included civil reg9 In October 2020, other limitations on mobility prevented Haitian migrants and their descendants from being able to retrieve civil registration documents for themselves and their children. For example, the procedures for the renewal of regularisation documents for migrant parents, which could eventually favour the naturalisation of their stateless children, were cumbersome under the pandemic. Further, COVID-19 prevention measures limiting the number of people who can gather have complicated the process of delivering and receiving services. Haitian mipassports / renewing regularisation status due THIS PUBLICATION LOOKS MORE CLOSELY AT RIGHT TO NATIONALITY, DOCUMENTATION AND LEGAL STATUS; RIGHT TO HEALTH AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC RIGHTS,4 AND MAKES THE FOLLOWING CALL TO ACTION TO THE GOVERNMENT AND RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS: FACILITATE LEGAL CHANNELS TO ENSURE ACCESS TO NATIONALITY, BASED ON NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICIES AND PRACTICES, WHICH PROMOTE MORE INCLUSION OF SHARE UP TO DATE INFORMATION ON THE GROUP RECEIVED ID AND ELECTORAL DOCUMENTS, WITH OTHER STATE DATA BASES SUCH SIUBEN, TO GUARANTEE THAT THOSE ELIGIBLE TO BENEFIT FROM RELEVANT SOCIAL PROTECTION PROGRAMMES, ARE ACCORDINGLY INCLUDED. OFFER EQUAL ACCESS TO VACCINATIONS TO ALL RESIDING IN THE COUNTRY AS A STATE POLICY, INDEPENDENTLY OF THE DOCUMENTARY STATUS OF THE PERSON CONCERNED, TO CONTAIN AND CONTROL COVID-19. NATURALISE ALL DESCENDANTS OF HAITIAN WHO ARE ENTITLED TO NATURALISATION AFTER TWO YEARS OF OBTAINING A MIGRANT STATUS only puts them at risk but also impacts their ability to meet documentation requirements for registering their children’s birth. Civil registration services were suspended from March to June 2020, creating a backlog of birth registrations. Late declarations of birth increase the risk of statelessness, especially for a population whose belonging is already questioned, due to onerous and costly requirements for late birth declarations. The government is addressing the existing backlog by offering registration services in decentralised locations and extending operating hours;10 and in an example of good practice the Dominican government extended the time allowed for registering vital events in a timely fashion. Presidential Decree tal events between 21 January and 3 July 2020 could be registered without a late penalty up to nancial constraints have continued to affect the possibility of obtaining overdue documents. ESTABLISH A GOVERNMENT-CIVIL SOCIETY WORKING GROUP TO EVALUATE AND PROVIDE SOLUTIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS EXCLUDED FROM THE CIVIL REGISTRY WHO ARE RECEIVING LEGAL ACCOMPANIMENT AND ASSISTANCE FROM NGOS. EQUALITY AND NON-DISCRIMINATION During the pandemic, anti-Haitianism has increased.11 President Luis Abinader announced plans to build a wall along the Dominican-Haitian 15