SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, May 15, CMC – The Senate has approved a bill that imposes penalties of up to 25 years in prison for migrant trafficking.
The legislation, proposed by Senator Omar Fernández also includes provisions barring any public official involved in migrant trafficking from holding public office for up to 20 years, in addition to any prison sentence imposed.
The bill will now move to the Chamber of Deputies for further consideration.
Fernández emphasized that individuals who use their public office to commit crimes like migrant trafficking, which undermine national sovereignty, should be permanently disqualified from public service.
The original proposal from the Executive Branch had suggested a five-year suspension for first-time offenders and a 10-year suspension for repeat offenders.
However, Fernández argued for harsher penalties, proposing up to 25 years in prison for those convicted of trafficking or smuggling migrants.
