Haiti Recalls Ambassador to the Dominican Republic; Haitian Man Denied Entry into Haiti

Source: Wikimedia
The situation continues escalating on the island of Hispaniola, with the Listin Diario reporting thatCap-Haïtien -- tried leaving the Dominican Republic through the Juana Méndez border checkpoint, but was denied entry into Haiti. Mr. Azema alleges that he was "detained, mistreated, and offended" by Haitian immigration authorities.
Emmanuel Azema -- a Haitian national born in the city of

"Haitian officials told me there was no proof that I was born in Haiti," Mr. Azema informed the Listin Diario, one of the largest circulation dailies in the Dominican Republic. 

Dominican Ministry of Police. via Listin Diario
Mr. Azema waited until nightfall and then swam across the river to his homeland, proceeding to his hometown, where he successfully acquired a birth certificate and an identification card, but a passport was denied to him. 

Without a passport, Mr. Azema is now unable to return to Santiago, Dominican Republic, where he worked as a construction worker for 8 years -- labor which entitles him to live in the Dominican Republic as documented resident. 

Lawyers in Santiago have filed official complaints with the Haitian embassy, threatening to take the case to an international tribunal unless Haiti provides Mr. Azema with a passport and allows him to return to the Dominican Republic.

Just today, Haiti also recalled its ambassador to the Dominican Republic, the Honorable Mr. Daniel Supplice. Mr. Supplice, who earlier this month stated that Haiti "bore culpability" in this immigration crisis for failure to provide documentation to its own citizens, was popular amongst Dominicans. 

It is unclear whether Mr. Supplice was removed because of the comments he made, or if this is simply an escalation of political tension between the two nations.