President Abinader says Dominican Republic will not allow establishment of refugee center

(CNN) — The President of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, reiterated this Monday that as long as he is head of state, his country will not lend its territory for the establishment of refugee centers.

In an interview with the BBC last week, the president had already said that he would not authorize refugee camps on Dominican territory.

Abinader revealed that about a year and a half ago, US government institutions contacted him regarding this issue, but he said that, after informing them about the situation in the Dominican Republic, no further approaches have been made. The President said there have been no other requirements since then, but he did not specify the date it occurred or which United States agency made the request.

The president made the statement during a press conference at the National Palace, known as “LA Seminole”, and clarified that the request did not come directly from the White House and that Biden “is respectful and knows it would be unacceptable to the Dominicans”. . Republic.

The President defended and justified his country’s right to deport citizens residing in the national territory irregularly.

The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) had recommended hosting Haitian refugees amid the ongoing crisis in the country.