The Haiti's National Identification Office (ONI) received an official Chilean delegation for a working session focused on strengthening cooperation regarding the identification of Haitian nationals living in Chile.

The delegation consisted of Chilean Ambassador to Haiti Manuel Rioseco, Ambassador Marco Aguayo to Honduras on special mission, and Sebastian Rebolledo, an official from the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Chilean representatives were welcomed by Reynold Guerrier, Director General of the ONI, who was accompanied by members of the institution's technical board. This meeting allowed both parties to discuss mechanisms that could facilitate the identification of Haitian citizens residing in Chile, particularly those who are undocumented or lack official identity documents.

Special attention was given to the situation of undocumented Haitian children living in Chile. Many of these minors, lacking identification documents, face significant difficulties accessing essential services, particularly education and healthcare. This situation is a major concern for both the Chilean authorities and the National Identification Office (ONI), whose fundamental mission remains guaranteeing the right to identity for every Haitian citizen.

During the discussions, the Director General of the ONI presented the institution's technical capabilities, the efforts already undertaken in the area of ​​identification, and the prospects for improving support for Haitians living abroad. The discussions also addressed the financial, institutional, and operational constraints that the ONI faces in implementing certain key projects.

For their part, the Chilean representatives reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the ONI in finding concrete and sustainable solutions, particularly through technical and technological assistance that can help improve the identification processes for the Haitian nationals concerned.

The ONI welcomes this cooperative initiative and reaffirms its commitment to working with its national and international partners to strengthen Haitian citizens' access to legal identity, both in Haiti and in the diaspora.

This visit marks an important step in the dialogue between the ONI and Chilean authorities on a major human, administrative, and social issue : enabling every Haitian, wherever they may be, to be recognized, identified, and protected by official documents.

IH/ iciHaiti