UNICEF says court ruling could have ‘devastating impact’ on thousands of children of Haitian descent

UNITED NATIONS, CMC – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that a ruling by the Constitutional Court in the Dominican Republic depriving Dominican-born persons of Haitian descent of their right to citizenship could have a “devastating impact” on thousands of children.
“Without a nationality, stateless children can be denied access to basic social protection programmes, cannot earn education certificates or graduate, or obtain an identity card or a passport,” said UNICEF in a statement on Wednesday.
“Without these basic protections and opportunities, these children are more vulnerable to exploitation and abuse,” it added.