The government of the Dominican Republic on Sunday commenced the construction of the border wall with Haiti, claiming that the said barricade would curb several issues in their country.

Reuters reported that the border wall that is being built by the Dominican Republic will cover almost half of the 392-kilometer border with Haiti, which is the country's land neighbor.

The said border wall will be made from a 20-centimeter thick concrete wall and then topped with a metal mesh, per DW. Meanwhile, the Dominican Republic's army said that at least 70 watchtowers will also be made aside from the walls.

The border wall is said to be 3.9 meters high from the ground and will include cameras, drones, fiber optics, movement sensors, and radars will also be included in the wall's construction.

Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader said that the first phase of the project will be completed within nine months at the latest. The country started building the wall ahead of the anniversary of its independence from Haiti on February 27, 1844.

READ NEXT: Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry Found to Be Involved in Former President Jovenel Moise, Judge and Investigators Confirm

Dominican Republic Builds Border Wall With Haiti

The construction of the border wall in the Dominican Republic was first announced by the authorities in February last year, according to BBC.

During that time, President Abinader told his country's Congress that they wanted to put an end to several issues concerning Haiti in a span of two years.

On Sunday, Abinader underscored that the border wall would curb the smuggling of commercial goods and weapons and help fight organized crimes in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

"The benefit for both nations will be of great importance," Abinader said on Sunday.

Aside from issues such as smuggling, authorities also noted that the border wall would also stop irregular migration from Haiti.

Although President Abinader highlighted the benefits of the border wall, Dajabon mayor told AFP that he was not in favor of the barricade as he accused soldiers of accepting bribes to allow the passage of non-registered migrants enters their country, per DW.

An immigration survey conducted in 2018 revealed that around half a million people from Haiti and tens of thousands of their descendants are living in the Dominican Republic, while its total population accounts for 11 million.

Haiti and the Dominican Republic

Haiti and the Dominican Republic are both countries located on the island of Hispaniola. However, the two countries are different when it comes to their economy.

Haiti, which is plagued with crime, is known to be one of the poorest nations in the Americas, while the Dominican Republic is known to be a popular Caribbean tourist destination as the country has prospered in recent decades.

Because of this, reports noted that Haitian go to the Dominican Republic seeking jobs in the country's fields and construction industry.

Reuters stressed that around 500,000 Haitians currently live in the Dominican Republic.

"The severe institutional and security crisis that [Haiti] is going through has brought its people to a worrying situation of social and political instability," President Abinader said, referring to the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise.

The Dominican Republic president noted that the crisis Haiti is facing should be dealt with by Haitians on their own.

READ NEXT: More Than 170 Haitian Migrants Arrived in the Florida Keys in Overloaded Sailboat, Coast Guard Says

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Dominican Republic to build wall in bid to keep out Haitians - From Al Jazeera English