WASHINGTON D.C.February 21, 2014, CMC – The Dominican Republic delegation to the Organization of American States (OAS) has assured that nationals who were born in the Dominican Republic of Haitian parentage will not be stripped of Dominican Republic citizenship.

The delegation, through Alternate Representative, Mayerlyn Cordero Diaz, gave the assurance on Wednesday during a debate on the issue by the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS).

“The Government of the Dominican Republic reaffirms that no person holding Dominican nationality will be stripped of it,” said Cordero at the meeting, at which the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), a principal and autonomous organ of the OAS, presented a report on its preliminary observations, from its visit to the Spanish-speaking Caribbean country in early December, “in response to an invitation from the state.”

Cordero also said Dominican Republic President Danilo Medina will submit to the country’s Congress a law to address the situation of 24,392 people “who were not declared with proper documentation.”

Rosa María Ortiz, IACHR second vice chair and Country Rapporteur for the Dominican Republic, said her delegation will shortly present to the OAS its final report on its visit to the Dominican Republic.

The Dominican Republic Constitutional Court ruled last year that Dominicans of Haitian parentage, who were born in the Dominican Republic, would be stripped of Dominican citizenship.

Cordero said “regardless of the immigration status in the country, the Dominican government has always provided basic human rights guaranteed to all people who are in the territory of the Dominican Republic, including access to public services such as health and education as well as labor rights and access to justice.”

He called on the international community to “allow us to prioritize dialogue, because the issues involved are of a bilateral nature.”