Children in the Dominican Republic are subjected to the worst forms of child labor, including in commercial sexual exploitation, sometimes as a result of human trafficking. (1-5) Children also perform dangerous tasks in agriculture. (6,7) Table 1 provides key indicators on children’s work and education in the Dominican Republic.

Source for primary completion rate: Data from 2020, published by UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2022. (8)
Source for all other data: International Labor Organization’s analysis of statistics from Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 6 (MICS 6), 2019. (9)

Based on a review of available information, Table 2 provides an overview of children's work by sector and activity.

† Determined by national law or regulation as hazardous and, as such, relevant to Article 3(d) of ILO C. 182.
‡ Child labor understood as the worst forms of child labor per se under Article 3(a)–(c) of ILO C. 182.

Children in the Dominican Republic are victims of commercial sexual exploitation, principally in tourist locations, such as coastal resorts and major urban areas. In addition, the Dominican Republic is a destination country for child sex tourists primarily from the United States, Canada, and Europe. (20,23) The porous border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic has allowed some Haitian children to be trafficked into the Dominican Republic, where they are subjected to commercial sexual exploitation and forced to work in domestic work, street vending, and begging. (1,2,5,24-27) Some children, including Haitian children and Dominican-born children of Haitian descent, also work in agricultural production, often alongside their parents, and live in communities that frequently lack basic services, including schools. (22) Large populations of children, primarily Haitians or Dominicans of Haitian descent, live on the streets and are especially vulnerable to human trafficking. During the reporting period, the government noted an increase in domestic human trafficking victims, specifically children, brought from the interior of the country to coastal tourist areas. (20)

According to reports, most children working in the country do so in the informal sector, mainly on family farms in rural areas. The child labor rates from rural areas are almost double of those in urban areas. (20) The National Council for Children and Adolescents (CONANI) officials observed in 2021 that Constanza and the southern part of the country have the highest incidences of child labor. (20)

Many Dominican-born persons of Haitian descent, including children, continue to remain in undocumented status because of a legal change that retroactively revised the Dominican Republic's citizenship laws, which declared that all persons born after 1929 to non-citizens in the Dominican Republic were not eligible for citizenship. As a result, thousands of people had their citizenship revoked, most of whom were children of Haitian descent. (28,29) Afterward, the government established new legal provisions aimed at providing legal pathways for these individuals to regularize their immigration status. Yet, many of those affected by the changes have been unable to obtain legal residency documents or have their citizenship reinstated. (28,29) In 2020, the outgoing President issued a presidential decree naturalizing 749 of these individuals, nearly all of them minors, but the decree has still not been brought into effect. (30,31) In addition, thousands of other applicants remain trapped in legal limbo. Although their cases have been approved, the government has not yet issued a decree finalizing the naturalization process. (30) Due to the slow implementation of the program, coupled with response measures for the COVID-19 pandemic, many applicants have seen their interim identity and residency documents expire. (30) NGOs report that applicants are often unable to renew their documents due to government office closures, high fees, and a requirement to present a foreign passport despite the fact that these applicants are Dominican-born. (30) Some Dominican-born children of Haitian descent have been deported. (32) Children of undocumented migrant parents, many of Haitian descent, are particularly vulnerable to labor exploitation because they may lack birth or residency documents. This increases the likelihood that these children may be denied access to education or may be engaged in child labor, including its worst forms, in part because labor inspectors may not be able to verify their ages. (1,3,4,24,33,34) In addition, children who remain in the Dominican Republic, after their parents have been deported to Haiti due to their undocumented status, are more vulnerable to the worst forms of child labor. (35)

Education in the country was provided remotely from November 2020 until mid-October 2021 due to the pandemic. (20) The government continued enacting several initiatives begun in 2020 to facilitate instruction, such as the procurement of 800,000 tablets and laptops and the use of television, radio, and take-home workbooks to reach students without access to computers or Internet. (31) However, coverage of these initiatives was inconsistent, especially in the poorest areas of the country. Reports indicate that remote learning tended to reinforce existing inequalities in education, since students with poor Internet connections or with parents unable to support their learning were at a disadvantage. (20) In addition, some reports indicate that children without documentation were sometimes denied access to laptops. (36)

National law guarantees free public education, requires that all children attend school until age 14, and prohibits exclusion of children from the educational system based on a lack of identity documents. (37-39) Parents are also instructed to obtain birth registration documents for their children, and the Ministry of Education provides free legal services to help parents obtain identity documents for their children. The Ministry of Education's Office of Community Participation is the point of contact to handle school-denial cases for children without identity documents and has reissued a directive to public schools, noting that all children must be allowed to attend school, regardless of their documentation. Parents may also appeal to the district government or the Ministry of Education's regional office if their child is denied educational access. (16,39) However, limited reporting indicates that, in some cases, school directors have denied children without identity documents access to education. (36) Moreover, the Ministry of Education's current Operations Manual of Public Education Centers incorrectly requires school administrators to request children to present identity documents to enroll in school. (40) The Ministry of Education also requires that students have a birth certificate on file in order for them to receive a high school diploma or school transcript after graduation, leaving those children without identity documents unable to prove that they have completed high school. Thus, limiting their ability to access university and vocational education or the formal job market. (20,39,41,42)

Teacher shortages and a lack of school infrastructure also create barriers to accessing education in the Dominican Republic. (17) In addition, a high percentage of students drop out at the primary and secondary levels. (2,29,43) These issues particularly affect children living in rural areas and in communities predominantly of Haitian descent. Sources indicate that some children of Haitian descent face discrimination by teachers and peers, travel long distances to schools, and are unable to afford school fees and supplies. (2,29,43)

The Dominican Republic has ratified all key international conventions concerning child labor (Table 3).

The government has established laws and regulations related to child labor (Table 4). However, gaps exist in the Dominican Republic’s legal framework to adequately protect children from the worst forms of child labor, including the prohibition of military recruitment by non-state armed groups.

* Country has no conscription (50)
‡ Age calculated based on available information (44,51) 

The prohibition against child trafficking is insufficient because it requires threats, the use of force, or coercion to be established for the crime of child trafficking under the Law Against Migrant Smuggling and Trafficking in Persons; and although the Code for the Protection System and Fundamental Rights of Boys, Girls, and Adolescents criminally prohibits accepting, offering, or transferring children without requiring threats, the use of force, or coercion as an element, it does not criminally prohibit the recruitment or harboring of children. (37,47)

The government has established institutional mechanisms for the enforcement of laws and regulations on child labor (Table 5). However, gaps exist within the operations of enforcement agencies that may hinder adequate enforcement of their child labor laws.

Labor Law Enforcement

In 2021, labor law enforcement agencies in the Dominican Republic took actions to address child labor (Table 6). However, gaps exist within the authority of the Ministry of Labor (MT) that may hinder adequate labor law enforcement, including the lack of authority of labor inspectors to assess penalties.

In 2021, the MT reported that a total of 31 training sessions were held for the staff of the Directorate of Policies for the Prevention and Eradication of Child Labor and the inspection corps. Trainings included courses on child labor prevention, reporting and investigation techniques, health and safety, and equality of opportunity and non-discrimination. (20) MT hired one Creole-speaking staff member to assist with translation during inspections. Furthermore, training in the Creole language for labor inspectors is being programmed. In addition, MT hired 23 new technicians specialized in addressing child labor issues for the Directorate of Policies for the Prevention and Eradication of Child Labor, to work in the offices of the Local Labor Representations (RLT) in the interior of the country. (20) These technicians accompany inspectors during worksite inspections and to the orientations inspectors provide to different civil society groups. (31)

During the reporting period, labor inspectors carried out orientation sessions at sugarcane plantations to educate workers on their rights and responsibilities. These sessions emphasized that child labor is forbidden in the cultivation and harvesting of sugarcane, and that if seen, violations must be reported to the relevant authorities. (20) These sessions were translated into Creole and reached thousands of sugarcane workers in the country, including 2,000 sugarcane workers on the Central Romana sugarcane plantations. (20)

The number of labor inspectors is likely insufficient for the size of the Dominican Republic’s workforce, which includes more than 4.6 million workers. According to the ILO’s technical advice of a ratio approaching 1 inspector for every 15,000 workers in industrializing economies, the Dominican Republic would need to employ about 312 labor inspectors. (59,60) In 2021, a total of 56,938 worksite inspections were conducted, representing approximately 269 worksite inspections completed by each inspector. This is a high number of inspections conducted by each inspector, and it is likely that this high number negatively impacts the quality of such inspections. (20)

Labor inspectors are authorized to re-inspect worksites to ensure that violations are remedied. However, re-inspections occur less frequently and are more difficult, and less consistent, in remote rural areas. (45) Labor inspectors do not have authority to asses labor penalties; instead, they write infraction reports which are sent to prosecutors in the Office of the Attorney General (AG) for enforcement action if prosecutors determine it is necessary. The collection of civil penalties is also the responsibility of the judicial system. (17) In 2021, MT referred 45 cases of child labor violations to the AG for further enforcement action. (20,31) MT reports that they only have oversight of work situations with an employer-employee relationship, leaving children engaged in work in informal activities outside MT's purview. In such cases, CONANI is the agency with authority and jurisdiction to intervene. (20)

The Labor Inspection Manual instructs inspectors to assess child labor violations by reviewing workers’ identity documents and employers’ records, making observations, and conducting interviews. (61) However, MT indicated that improvements could be made with respect to how inspectors conduct interviews, ask follow-up questions, and use inspection data to strengthen the inspection system to ascertain the ages of workers and guarantee that children under age 18 are not participating in dangerous or unhealthy work. Moreover, reports indicate that in some cases, Spanish-speaking inspectors working without translation assistance have been responsible for interviewing Creole-speaking workers with limited or no Spanish-language abilities, which may have hindered those inspections. (13,20)

Research indicates that inspections are not always conducted in a timely manner after complaints or requests for inspections that are based on compliance abnormalities or violations are made. In addition, evidence suggests that inspection reports often contain errors and contradictions that undermine the credibility of these reports. (13) Research also indicates that substandard labor inspections, incomplete labor inspection reports, and a lack of prosecutorial resources have hindered the ability of the AG to pursue prosecutions on criminal matters involving child labor issues. (13) A formal referral mechanism allows MT to refer child labor victims found during labor inspections to CONANI. (15,19) During the reporting period, MT reported that 468 children and adolescents were identified through labor inspections in rural and urban areas and were removed from child labor, while another 506 were warned and made aware of the consequences of child labor, with 204 of these being referred to institutions to receive services. These referred children include 157 to CONANI, 17 to the SUPERATE program, and 5 to the AG's Office. (20)

MT reports that its budget is insufficient for the maintenance of the required offices, transportation, fuel, and other resources needed to carry out adequate inspections. In 2021, employees and unions complained that an insufficient number of inspections were taking place, and that there was a lack of follow-through on the inspections that were carried out. (20,62)

Criminal Law Enforcement

In 2021, criminal law enforcement agencies in the Dominican Republic took actions to address child labor (Table 7). However, gaps exist within the operations of the criminal enforcement agencies that may hinder adequate criminal law enforcement, including insufficient allocation of financial resources.

The government did not provide comprehensive information on its criminal law enforcement efforts during the reporting period.

During the reporting period, 155 trainees of the National Migration Institute received training on anti-human trafficking, while 25 trainees of the Tourist Police received training on child labor and human trafficking. In addition, members of the AG's Office received training on the worst forms of child labor and human trafficking. (20)

Reports indicate that the capacity of enforcement agencies to identify, investigate, and prosecute criminal cases related to human trafficking is limited due to a lack of human and financial resources. (4,13,24,30,64) The lack of an appropriate case tracking system also limits coordination between MT and the AG. Reports also indicate that some cases referred to the AG by MT are not subsequently investigated and prosecuted by the AG, which is partially due to this lack of coordination. (4,7,65) Moreover, research finds that CONANI does not have the resources, facilities, and institutional capacity to meet the demand for services nationwide. (1,2,4,66)

The government has established mechanisms to coordinate its efforts to address child labor (Table 8). However, gaps exist that hinder the effective coordination of efforts to address child labor, including insufficient funding for key coordinating bodies to carry out their mandates.

* Mechanism to coordinate efforts to address child labor was created during the reporting period.

During the reporting period, the Dominican Municipal League, the Dominican Federation of Municipalities (FEDOMU), and MT undertook a new inter-institutional cooperation agreement. Its purpose is to develop awareness and training programs for local government personnel to strengthen capacities for prevention and response to child labor. (20,75) It seeks to identify spaces and modalities of child labor in the municipalities, including the worst forms of child labor, to then execute programs and policies to address the issues identified. It is a means of integrating local governments in the efforts to address child labor throughout the country. (20,75) This initiative focuses on preventing the presence of minors in activities that pose any danger to their physical, mental, and emotional health, within public spaces such as: dumps, markets, cemeteries, parks, squares, and traffic lights, among others. (20,75)

Evidence suggests that the local and municipal committees of the National Steering Committee to Eliminate Child Labor face limitations in their coordination efforts due to a lack of financial resources to adequately carry out their mandates. (16)

The government has established policies related to child labor (Table 9). However, policy gaps exist that hinder efforts to address child labor, including a lack of implementation of key national policies.

On June 22, 2021, MT published the Institutional Strategic Plan 2021–2024, which aims to provide institutional strategies for the medium term in response to the current challenges facing the labor market. The plan includes objectives, lines of action, goals, and priority public policies that will guide the agency’s work, including on the issue of the prevention and eradication of child labor and its worst forms. (31,79)

In 2021, the government funded and participated in programs that include the goal of eliminating or preventing child labor (Table 10). However, gaps exist in these social programs, including the inadequacy of efforts to address the problem in all sectors.

† Program is funded by the Government of the Dominican Republic.
‡ The government had other social programs that may have included the goal of eliminating or preventing child labor. (2,83,92-94)

In 2021, MT reported that together with the International Justice Mission and other institutions, it developed a project for labor insertions for labor and commercial sexual exploitation survivors. The plan is expected to be implemented in 2022. (20) In addition, the government opened 15 new shelters for victims of gender violence, with facilities for children as well, and a separate specialized shelter for victims of human trafficking. (69) The Directorate of Policies for the Prevention and Eradication of Child Labor also carried out awareness campaigns on child labor, specifically involving the tourism and agricultural sectors, educational counselors and psychologists, and employers, unions, and commerce associations. The Directorate reported a total of 380 awareness, training, and roundtable meetings in which 7,447 people participated. (20)

Although the Dominican Republic has programs that target the worst forms of child labor, the scope of these programs is insufficient to fully address the extent of the problem, particularly to address commercial sexual exploitation of children and harmful work in the agricultural sector. (1,2)

NGOs report that child victims of human trafficking go to CONANI temporary homes until they are reunited with their families; survivors are not offered additional services. (20)

Based on the reporting above, suggested actions are identified that would advance the elimination of child labor in the Dominican Republic (Table 11).

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36. USDOL. Interviews with USDOL official. 2022.
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38. Ministerio de Educación. Circular No. 18 de fecha 27 de julio de 2011. July 2011. Source on file.
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56. Government of the Dominican Republic, Ministerio de Trabajo. Ministerio de Trabajo alcanza 41 células de vigilancia contra el trabajo infantil a nivel nacional. May 10, 2019.
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