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New Dominican law aids some ‘stateless’ migrants

By WTOP Staff

EZEQUIEL ABIU LOPEZ
Associated Press writers

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — A newly passed law in the Dominican Republic creates a path to citizenship for the descendants of tens of thousands of migrants who came from neighboring Haiti to toil in sugar fields and do other menial jobs, but human rights groups said Thursday that it fails to address the plight of many more people.

Activists said several loopholes mean the majority of people born in the Dominican Republic to migrants will remain essentially stateless, even as the government celebrated what it called historic legislation.

“They make it look like they are improving and resolving the problem, but they are not,” said Santiago Canton, director of Partners for Human Rights at the U.S.-based Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. “It really is very disingenuous.”

Senators unanimously approved the bill Wednesday evening, after the lower house gave its OK last week. The measure was been submitted by President Danilo Medina after months of consultations to address a September ruling by the Constitutional Court that effectively rendered thousands of residents stateless.

The court affirmed that people born in the Dominican Republic to illegal migrants were not automatically entitled to citizenship, a ruling that applied retroactively to 1929. It directed the government to purge birth registries of non-citizens, depriving many residents of the documents they need to attend school or do many other basic tasks in the country of 9 million people.

The ruling aggravated longstanding tensions between the Dominican Republic and Haiti, which share the island of Hispaniola, and it caused an international outcry. Human rights groups complained that about 200,000 people could lose their citizenship, the majority of them of Haitian descent. The government maintained that only some 24,000 people would be affected, about 13,000 of them of Haitian ancestry.

Canton said the new law will benefit only about 20,000 people, or 10 percent of those that activists say are affected by the ruling.

“They are taking a small step forward, but they are still continuing with the discrimination against thousands of thousands of people,” he said. “The law should apply to absolutely everybody.”

The measure applies only to people born to foreigners living in the Dominican Republic between 1929 and 2007 and who are registered with the government. Those who are not registered could apply to become residents and then apply to become naturalized citizens two years later.

Anibal de Castro, the Dominican ambassador to the U.S., said the law creates a streamlined path to citizenship for those born in his country and who do not have documents.

“President Danilo Medina fulfilled his commitment to finding a just and equitable solution for undocumented persons, while giving clarity to an outdated system,” de Castro said in a statement.

Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe wrote in a series of tweets that he welcomed the law and considered it a step forward for people who could have been left stateless.

Noemi Mendez, a lawyer who has represented several people affected by the court’s ruling, also welcomed the law but noted it allows the government a wide margin of discretion.

Among those affected by the law is 25-year-old Juan Telemin, a Dominican born to Haitian parents who said he was never able to enroll in college because he lacks a birth certificate.

“It is a great injustice that those who could not obtain birth certificates are considered migrants despite having been born and raised in our country,” he said.

Ana Maria Belique, spokeswoman for a nonprofit group that has fought for the rights of children born in the Dominican Republic to Haitian migrant workers, praised the law but said she would continue to fight to have everyone included.

“After great hardships and lengthy battles, we have achieved the recognition of something that is obvious, that we are Dominicans,” said Belique, who was born in the Dominican Republic to Haitian migrants and is still fighting to obtain a birth certificate.

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Associated Press writer Ezequiel Lopez reported this story in Santo Domingo and Danica Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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