56 | Report on the Situation of Human Rights in the Dominican Republic
101. The massacre led to a major decline in the number of Haitian migrants, as reflected
in the 1938 census which listed 18,500 Haitians living in the country. The scarcity of
Haitian labor on the sugar cane plantations that the massacre caused meant that
starting in 1952, under the Trujillo dictatorship, there would be a push for binational
agreements between the Dominican Republic and Haiti for mass recruitment of
Haitian farm workers for the Dominican sugar industry. These agreements were
signed in 1952, 101 1959 102 and 1966 103 and again triggered an increase in the
Haitian population in the bateyes. Under these agreements, a worker was
encouraged to immigrate with his wife and any of his children who were under the
age of 10.
102. Many of the families that migrated under these agreements remained in the country
permanently and had children born in Dominican territory. In the case of the young
farm workers, their youth, unmarried status and limited employment opportunities
in Haiti were decisive factors in their decision to remain and establish families in the
Dominican Republic. The sugar cane industries benefited from a permanent Haitian
workforce as it ensured that they would have workers for certain fieldwork that
needed to be done at the end of a harvest and for the harvests that followed. 104
103. As a result of the shortage of Haitian workers in the sugar industry, many of the
Haitians in an irregular migratory situation who were stopped by Dominican
military were sent directly to the sugar cane plantations and were forced to live in
the bateyes, which were the only places they were allowed to be and where they
were safe from deportation for the duration of the harvest. 105
104. Many of these migrant workers were brought to the Dominican Republic legally,
under agreements that the State Sugar Council (CEA)106 and the Dominican State
concluded with Haiti between 1972 and 1986. 107 Other migrant workers entered
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
Dominican Republic, put the figure at 17,000. See, inter alia, MOYA PONS, Frank, Historia de la República
Dominicana, Volume 2. Editorial CSIC, January 1, 2010, pp. 453 et seq.; WOODING, Bridget and MOSELEYWILLIAMS, Richard, Inmigrantes Haitianos y Dominicanos de Ascendencia Haitiana en la Dominican Republic.
Jesuit Refugee and Migrant Service. Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 2004, pp. 19-22.
Dominican Republic, National Congress, Resolution No. 3200 approving the agreement signed by the
Dominican Republic and the Republic of Haiti on the subject of Haitian Temporary Laborers, Official Gazette
No. 7391 of February 23, 1952.
Dominican Republic, National Congress, Resolution No. 5279 approving the agreement signed on hiring of
temporary Haitian laborers in Haiti and their entrance into the Dominican Republic and its additional
instrument, Official Gazette No. 8435 of December 29, 1959.
Dominican Republic, National Congress, Resolution No. 83 approving the agreement signed on hiring of
temporary Haitian laborers in Haiti, Official Gazette No. 9018 of December 31, 1966.
OBMICA (Natalia Riveros), p. 25.
OBMICA (Natalia Riveros), p. 25.
The Sugar Corporation of the Dominican Republic was dissolved by Law No. 7 of 1966 and the State Sugar
Council was created, in charge of directing, coordinating, auditing, and inspecting all sugar mills in the
Dominican Republic.
The one-year and two-year contracts that the CEA and the Haitian government entered into were not
submitted to the Dominican Congress for approval. See ILO, Report of the Commission of Inquiry appointed
under article 26 of the Constitution of the International Labour Organisation to examine the observance of
certain international labor Conventions by the Dominican Republic and Haiti with respect to the employment of
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