Social Inclusion of Returnees: Human Rights and Fundamental Rights Perspectives

The Dominican Republic faces the growing challenge of receiving and reintegrating its repatriated citizens, mainly from the United States. These individuals often return without support networks, many of them without criminal backgrounds or prior convictions, but as a consequence of administrative immigration procedures. The majority are repatriated due to immigration law violations rather than serious crimes, requiring a differentiated and humane approach. The Repatriated Reintegration Unit (UNRE) of the Office of the Attorney General has been instrumental in implementing an institutional model based on the respect and guarantee of fundamental rights. This article explores the national and international legal foundations supporting these rights, as well as the services provided by UNRE to support social, legal, health, and labor reintegration. It presents a comparative analysis with international best practices and highlights achievements, challenges, and proposals to dignify the repatriation process from a human rights perspective.

Keywords:
Repatriation; human rights; social inclusion; Attorney General’s Office; migration policy