“Ninety percent of the formwork shipowners, maybe 95 percent, are Haitian, most of them illegal, or with expired permits because they haven't been renewing them. So they have deported a significant number, almost 500 shipowners, out of a group of a thousand in the country, of which 900 are Haitian.”.
SANTO DOMINGO- Construction work on formwork is semi-paralyzed in the Dominican construction sector, due to the mass deportation of Haitian nationals, who make up more than 90% of the formwork workers, considered vital for the development of buildings.
Rafael Durán of SBDS Investments told El Inmobiliariothat there is currently a paralysis of projects in the capital and the interior, caused by a lack of builders, given that the Dominican workforce is insufficient to meet market demand.
“Ninety percent of the formwork builders, maybe 95 percent, are Haitians, most of them illegal, or with expired permits because they haven't been renewing them. So they have deported a significant number, almost 500 builders, out of a group of a thousand in the country, of which 900 are Haitians,” Durán stated.
He said that in his case he has two projects paralyzed in San Cristóbal and Palenque since out of the 30 shipbuilders he needs, he only has ten, citing that even the most prominent firms in the country with high volumes of work are currently working with limited capacity.
Durán says that the situation has led to the few remaining shipowners having to be paid up to 50% above the usual prices.
“Because there is competition now, with engineers going around to construction sites conquering them and offering to pay them much more. A large part of the Jacobo Majluta project is semi-paralyzed, as are the government's “My Housing” projects, due to a lack of manpower in assembling the formwork, and that is a result of deportation.”.
He explained that projects in the interior of the country are in an even worse situation, since the few shipbuilders available are unwilling to work outside the Dominican capital. "It's an incredible shortage. Dozens of projects are paralyzed due to a lack of labor," the construction businessman stated.
What are formwork?
Formwork or molds are elements that function as temporary or permanent molds into which concrete is poured. In a building project, they are one of the main factors for the construction performance of the project and directly influence the appearance and quality of the surface of the structure.
Deportation
Last week, the General Directorate of Migration conducted an operation at the Ciudad Juan Bosch housing complex in Santo Domingo East, arresting 385 Haitian nationals, most of whom worked in construction. The detention of Haitian immigrants continued yesterday at the same location, including human rights activist Roody Joseph, despite his having all his documents in order.
Joseph was later released, but the other immigrants were first transferred to the V Centenario Hippodrome and from there to the Haina Vacation Center, with the aim of being vetted.
In a press conference, Haitians denounced the state of anxiety, harassment, persecution, mistreatment and abuses they receive from self-proclaimed "nationalist" groups, as well as from some members of the National Police and the General Directorate of Migration.
"We want to make it clear that we have not come to the Dominican Republic to invade, but to contribute our resources, both economic and in terms of capabilities, to its development and economy," they maintain.
They demand an end to the persecution that has been unleashed against the immigrants who live in Ciudad Juan Bosch, since they are productive, peaceful people with Christian convictions.
The National Roundtable for Migration and Refugees in the Dominican Republic (Menamird) and the Association of Haitians Residing in Juan Bosch City condemned the violent events that occurred there last week.
The organizations clarify that the residents of Ciudad Juan Bosch are not irregular immigrants, as they are in the Dominican Republic legally, with the proper documentation and officially accredited by the country's official agencies.
Following the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse in July of last year, the Dominican government tightened immigration controls with the neighboring island due to the security crisis caused by increased violence and kidnappings. Between 2017 and 2021, 248,778 Haitian nationals were deported from the Dominican Republic.
