IMMIGRATION VIA PUERTO RICO

ACROSS PUERTO RICO BORDERS: 

A CARIBBEAN SMUGGLING EXPRESSWAY

MONA PASSAGE   /   CANAL DE LA MONA

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The immigration arriving from the Caribbean into Puerto Rico in transit to continental U.S., has some very peculiar characteristics. A recent immigration pattern finds Cubans and Haitians migrating into the Dominican Republic as a stepping stone to Puerto Rico, and is eventually headed to the U.S. (for the most part). Migrants pay traffickers up to $6000 to be smuggled into Puerto Rico, and usually the Caribbean island is only a stop on the route to U.S. mainland. For once migrants are in this Caribbean island, they can travel to any U.S. destination freely. The human traffic bring Dominicans, Haitian, and Cubans into Puerto Rico from across the waters of the Mona Channel, navigating extremely fragile boats or “YOLAS”. The Mona Passage between Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic, is the place where the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea meet. It is located south to the Puerto Rico Trench, the deepest point in the Atlantic Ocean.The currents are extremely dangerous, waves average over 12 feet high all year around, and the sea is infested by sharks.
Some observations about this migration phenomena:

> Haitians who migrate to Dominican Republic are victims of racist stereotyping. They are subjected to all kinds of racial discrimination, suffer housing and education discrimination, and are mostly employed in low-income jobs. Meanwhile, they try to assimilate Dominican looks and customs, hoping to pass as Dominicans. Dominicans who migrate to Puerto Rico  are subjected to all kinds of  racist stereotyping, suffer housing and education discrimination, and are mostly employed in low-income jobs. Meanwhile, they try to assimilate Puertorican looks and customs, hoping to pass as Puertoricans. Unskilled Puertoricans who migrate to the U.S. are subjected to all kinds of  racist stereotyping, suffer housing and education discrimination, and are mostly employed in low-income jobs.  

It appears that Dominicans are perceived in Puerto Rico in a very similar manner to the way Haitians are viewed in the Dominican Republic and ultimately how Puerto Ricans themselves are viewed in the United States. 

> The Mona Passage is one of the main sea routes leading to the Panama Canal, and it is by no means a serene waterway. The passage, 80 miles wide, is where two major bodies of water meet and their currents collide. Waves average over 12 feet all year around. Sharks populate the waters. Navigating without instruments in this channel can cause boats to get lost. The frightening seas and terrifying waves can make people lose their reason quickly. Many die from starvation or dehydration, and many fall into the water. Some survivors have reportedly had to resort to cannibalism, so often dead bodies are not discarded but kept on-board.

> It is not known -maybe we’ll never know - how many people have perished crossing the passage. A few years ago, 500 people perished in a single instance, leaving the Dominican Republic.

> It has been reported that around a town like Nagua on the Dominican Republic east coast, you’ll find the smuggling activity is pretty open, and town people are generally aware of departure schedules.

> If caught, a Dominican migrant is returned to his country and does not face charges from either country. Traffickers caught by the authorities in Puerto Rico do face charges and jail time. 

> Immigrating through the Mona Passage is so risky, the unwritten rule is do not travel with relatives nor friends. The extreme situation out there can be so severe that there will be no mercy among passengers in order to survive.

> Smuggling is very much a business run by criminal organizations, and traffickers survive by acting accordingly. These are reputed to be extremely dangerous folks, who may make this suicidal voyage a few times a week. Smugglers are the final authority out in the seas.  First person accounts by survivors say these fragile boats are overloaded with migrants, in order to maximize profits. The yolas tend to travel without lights or navigation devices, in order not to attract attention. Passengers may be thrown aboard by traffickers, or may be forced to jump off boats in danger of capsizing. Menstruating women have been thrown overboard for fear of attracting sharks. Upon arrival to Puerto Rico coasts, traffickers prefer to drop passengers and have them swim into the island’s beaches. 

> The number of Dominican illegal immigrants residing in Puerto Rico is not known. It is known that in a period of three decades, Dominicans nationals have grown to be the largest immigrant group. The 2010 census estimated Dominicans nationals account for of almost 2% of the island’s population. San Juan, Puerto Rico now has the second largest number of migrant Dominicans after New York City.

> The number of Haitian illegal immigrants residing in Dominican Republic is not known.  Some sources estimate a figure of around a million. The anti-Haitian migrant sentiment in the Dominican Republic is not only racist, it is also a nationalistic sentiment. To sympathize with the plight of Haitians can be considered anti-Dominican. Black Dominicans do not think of themselves as blacks, and make a strong distinction between Haitian and themselves. Therefore, there have been waves of Haitian mass expulsions, and today it is common to deport people rounded up by the color of their skin according to human rights groups. 

> Puerto Rico is a territory of the U.S., and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico has no jurisdiction over immigration matters. waters are patrolled by the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Border Patrol. Relations with the Dominican Republic government are conducted by the U.S. government, without Puertorican representation.

> Since Dominicans in Puerto Rico are mostly in transit and do not intend to stay, and possibly because of the discrimination they endure, they tend not to develop social-cultural-political roots. Their influence in popular music is huge, however.