SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC -- DIILS conducted a seminar on land and maritime border security attended by 20 military and civilian representatives of the Ministry of Defense and the Immigration Department.  Representatives from the Dominican Ministry of Defense included uniformed members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, the joint border security branch (CESFRONT), and the Defense Graduate School of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law.  The DR is seeking to address unregulated immigration of undocumented individuals from neighboring Haiti, and has recently moved to install military personnel to lead their border security apparatus.
During the week-long seminar in Santo Domingo, discussions focused on the foundational principles of international law and the legal aspects of land and maritime border security operations, including observing human rights at international border crossings, immigration enforcement at sea and along land borders, rules for the use of force in law enforcement, the use of military in border security missions, and operations to combat the trafficking of narcotics and persons.  The DIILS team used real-world scenarios and case studies to facilitate lively, interactive discussions related to these and other relevant border security issues.