Dominican Republic builds border wall with Haiti

The Dominican Republic started building a wall along its border with Haiti on Sunday in an attempt to stop undocumented migration and smuggling of goods, weapons, and drugs. 

"The benefit for both nations will be of great importance," said Dominican President Luis Abinader.

"The severe institutional and security crisis that [Haiti] is going through has brought its people to a worrying situation of social and political instability," Abinader continued.

Despite sharing the island of Hispaniola, both countries have different economic and political environments. Haiti is plagued with crime and remains one of the poorest nations in Latin America. At the same time, the Dominican Republic has a relatively stable political scene and has prospered as a tourist destination, reported Reuters. 

As a result, many Haitians have been crossing the border to find opportunities and a better life in the Dominican Republic. Currently, there are around 500,000 Haitians living in the Dominican Republic. 

The wall will reduce the number of irregular migrants and reduce the smuggling of goods, weapons, and human trafficking. Furthermore, the wall will help fight organized crime in both countries, explained Abinader.

The wall will cover half of the Dominican’s 244 miles (392 km) border with its only land neighbor. The project is expected to be completed within nine months. 

The wall will consist of a concrete wall that is 20 centimeters thick and 12.8 feet tall. The project also plans to include movement sensors, cameras, and radars. In addition, there will be around 70 watchtowers along the wall.