Poverty in Haiti leads a great many Haitians to the more prosperous Dominican republic. Once they arrive there, reality is not up to their expectations and Haitian migrants are subject to exploitation and widespread discrimination. Most of them work as braceros (sugar cane cutters) on Dominican farms. They get paid one dollar a day, have no work contracts and live illegally. As they are undocumented, they are often considered to have no rights.

And yet, on November 24, 2008, a Dominican court forced one of the oldest sugar cane companies in the country to sign contracts for 500 braceros that it had been employing without contracts. The company will have to offer them a work contract that will allow them to get social, medical and wages insurance. It is the first time braceros have been considered as men and not only as cheap harvesting machines. Their demands have been supported by the Groupe d’appui aux rapatriés et réfugiés (GARR), a Haitian association. Their fight has lasted ten years and is still going on with the support of the GARR: they must now make sure that the company will comply with the court ruling.

The GARR sees this court ruling as a step in a series of positive Dominican rulings in favor of Haitians. On November 11, 2008, the Dominican government announced a national day of mourning in solidarity after the collapse of two junior high schools in Haiti: an unprecedented sign of support! A short time later, in the Dominican republic, the suspected lynchers of Haitian civilians were indicted. Says the GARR: « it’s really something. The indictment and the symbolic weight of these facts are quite meaningful. » The association therefore calls to use this historic chance for the advancement of human rights: « Time has come to give History a hand. »