Dominica: Whether Dominica has been known, in the past, to extradite or deport its citizens to China; if so, the conditions under which this has taken place (2003-May 2004)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 20 May 2004 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | DMA42631.E |
| Reference | 2 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Dominica: Whether Dominica has been known, in the past, to extradite or deport its citizens to China; if so, the conditions under which this has taken place (2003-May 2004), 20 May 2004, DMA42631.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/41501c0323.html [accessed 29 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
In an 11 May 2004 telephone interview, a representative of the Consular and Political Affairs office at the High Commission for the Countries of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States stated that he was unaware of any cases involving the deportation or extradition of Dominican citizens to China as of May 2004. Country Reports 2003 noted that the government of Dominica does not have a refugee or asylum policy and that "[i]n practice, the Government provided protection against refoulement, but did not routinely grant refugee status or asylum" (25 Feb. 2004, Sec. 2.d).
According to documentary sources, there were reports of human smuggling of illegal migrants via Dominica to St. Maarten (Country Reports 2003 25 Feb. 2004, Sec. 6.f), and in one case 21 Chinese nationals were caught by Dominican authorities and subsequently released because the government did not have the funds to return them to China (The Daily Herald 13 June 2003). The Dominica Police Public Relations Officer, Cyril Carrette, stated that there have been cases when the authorities have arrested the same illegal migrants on multiple occasions (ibid.). Subsequently, Carrette claimed that even though the authorities had retained the illegal migrants' funds or passports, they would leave the country anyway (ibid.).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2003. 25 February 2004. "Dominica." United States Department of State. Washington, DC. The Daily Herald [Philipsburg, St. Maarten]. 13 June 2003. "Dominica Confirms Human Smuggling." (Haiti Info) High Commission for the Countries of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, Ottawa. 11 May 2004. Telephone interview with a representative of the Consular and Political Affairs office.
Additional Sources Consulted
The Dominica Immigration department could not provide the information requested by the Research Directorate.
Internet sites: Amnesty International, Dominican.net, Freedom House, Government of Dominica, Human Rights Watch, Immigration-World.com, Latin American Security & Strategic Review [London], Migration News, US Committee for Refugees, World News Connection/Dialog, Xinhuanet.
