Dominican Republic begins building border wall with Haiti

FILE PHOTO: Haitians cross the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic to sell Haitian products at a market in Dajabon, Dominican Republic, September 23, 2019. REUTERS/Ricardo Rojas

SANTO DOMINGO (Reuters) - The Dominican government on Sunday began building a wall that will cover more than half of the 392-kilometre (244 miles) border with Haiti, its only land neighbor, to stop irregular migration and the smuggling of goods, weapons and drugs.

While the two countries share the island of Hispaniola, they are worlds apart in terms of development. Crime-plagued Haiti is one of the poorest nations in the Americas while the Dominican Republic, a popular Caribbean tourist destination, has prospered in recent decades amid marked political stability.