Citizens living abroad are an important sector in the development of society. For this reason, from the different spheres that can work in favor of them, it should be done. According to the Migration Data Portal, “since the 1990s, many countries have established wide-ranging programs aimed at promoting relations with diasporas. However, differences in definitions and the absence of effective monitoring and evaluation make comparative analysis of these policies difficult.”
In the Dominican Republic, for example, President Luis Abinader, before becoming president, demonstrated his commitment to the Dominican diaspora, and participated in the creation of the Spanish Association of Dominicans Overseas (ADU), which was based on humanistic social objectives, highlighting the future of all Dominicans living outside their homeland. However, due to the lack of strong support from past authorities for this relevant work, the great results that could be obtained were more limited.
What is not limited is the fruit that the quisqueyanos emit in benefit of the Dominican Republic, from the different countries where they are based. The facts are there. During the COVID19 pandemic, this sector was the one that contributed the most to the Dominican economy through the remittances that they sent to their relatives, thus preventing the financial adversities that the country was going through from taking them to the bankruptcy.
The consequences do not stop there. The Diaspora continues to contribute to the fact that today Dominican families are improving their quality of life and that the economy, in general, continues to strengthen. This is evidenced by the amount of remittances sent in the first five months of the year 2023, showing a 2.9% growth over the same period last year, according to the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic (BCRD). To this must be added the boxes and containers that they send to their relatives through maritime routes and that, eventually, become merchandise to be traded.
Sometimes, government administrations make the mistake of focusing public practices only at the territorial level, leaving aside their citizens living in other countries. But these figures, as well as other reasons, are the ones that make us understand the significant value of this working diaspora, which also needs the attention of their leaders.
According to the Migration Portal, “policies of collaboration with diasporas include not only traditional consular services for nationals abroad, but also programs within national ministries that focus, for example, on health, welfare, labor, education, economy, culture or religion”.
The facts show that, for years, President Abinader has had a broad vision of the needs of Dominicans living abroad, since, the services offered to Dominicans living in Spain, through ADU, went beyond the consular ones, due to the fact that these consisted of labor exchange, protection for women, correction of social movements of gangs, deferred payment of airline tickets with bank guarantee, social economy and cooperativism, sending remittances with a fixed fee, with a rate of less than 50% of the market and financial services offered by Banco Popular Español and BanReservas Dominicano.
Undoubtedly, Abinader knows that the Diaspora needs and deserves more, that is why in the current administration is being taken into account, giving continuity to what has existed for a long time, “a commitment to them”.
Source: Diario16.com
