Dominicans Get 3 Red Flags for Russia Jobs
MIGRATION · DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Key Facts
- —The country The Dominican Republic is a close US partner in the Caribbean, with deep family ties to New York, New Jersey and Florida.
- —Why it matters Russia’s search for foreign fighters has reached a Caribbean ally of Washington through offers of civilian work abroad.
- —Why now Relatives have sought help, and the foreign ministry had 22 complaints and requests on file by Friday 9 October.
- —What happened On Wednesday 14 October Labour Minister Eddy Olivares Ortega urged anyone offered work abroad to have it checked by his ministry first.
- —The numbers Three warning signs: big pay with vague duties, demands for upfront fees, and middlemen whose identity cannot be checked.
- —What it means for you Relatives of Dominicans in the US who share or receive such offers can ask the ministry in Santo Domingo to vet them before anyone travels.
- —Still open How many Dominicans are in Russia, who recruited them and whether any will be allowed home.
The Dominican Republic warned citizens on Wednesday about Russia jobs that promise high pay but can end near Ukraine’s front line. Labour Minister Eddy Olivares Ortega asked anyone offered work abroad to have the offer checked by his ministry before signing or travelling.
The warning follows complaints that Dominicans flew to Russia for technical and other civilian jobs and were then drawn into the war. For US readers, it shows how far Moscow’s hunt for foreign recruits now reaches into Washington’s own neighbourhood.
Olivares, a lawyer, is vice-president of the governing Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM), the party of President Luis Abinader. His official biography says he sat on the Central Electoral Board, which runs Dominican elections, from 2006 to 2016.
What the Labour Ministry Said About Russia Jobs
The ministry published the statement on its own website at 10:29 a.m. local time on Wednesday 14 October. Local outlets Hoy, Acento, El Nacional and RNN carried the statement the same morning.
“We urge all Dominicans who receive a job offer abroad to come to the Ministry of Labour before accepting, signing a contract or travelling,” Olivares said. He said the ministry would help people check such offers, so that an attractive opportunity does not endanger their lives.
The call covers offers that arrive through social media, online platforms, recruitment agencies, middlemen or personal contacts. In other words, the ministry wants to see any foreign offer, however it reached the worker.
Olivares also said the Dominican Republic has no bilateral labour migration agreement with Russia to govern such hiring. He stressed that the lack of a treaty does not by itself make every individual contract abroad illegal.
Hiding the real nature of a job or offering different terms can seriously violate a worker’s basic rights, he said. Persuading someone to travel without telling them the risks falls into the same category, in the minister’s words.
Three Warning Signs in Foreign Job Offers
The minister listed three kinds of offer that should raise suspicion. The first promises extraordinary wages without clearly naming the duties, the employer, the workplace or the contract terms.
The second asks the worker for unjustified payments in advance. The third comes through intermediaries whose identity and legitimacy cannot be confirmed.
He also told job seekers not to hand passports or other personal documents to middlemen without legal guarantees. He added that people should not sign contracts whose content they do not fully understand.
Olivares called for closer coordination between state agencies to prevent deception, labour exploitation, human trafficking and recruitment through false job promises. He asked anyone who has received a suspicious offer, and their relatives, to report it to the authorities.
How the Russia Jobs Cases Reached This Point
The labour warning comes on top of earlier alerts from the foreign ministry, which handles the cases of Dominicans already in Russia. Foreign Minister Víctor “Ito” Bisonó said in Santiago de los Caballeros on Friday 9 October that his ministry had 22 reports.
Some came from relatives seeking help for family members, Listín Diario reported, and others from people who had returned from Russia. Bisonó said his Russian counterpart, met at the UN General Assembly, pledged help in reviewing the contract terms.
He told the Dominican ambassador in Russia to keep in contact with local authorities and assist citizens who come forward. “Don’t let yourselves be fooled, don’t get excited about those offers,” he said, adding that it was no joke.
The foreign minister noted that the state’s room to act can be limited when contracts were signed directly between private parties. In some cases relatives need a power of attorney before officials can act for a family member abroad, he explained.
Relatives quoted in local media say men who left for technical or other civilian jobs in Russia were later drawn into the war. Those accounts come from relatives and have not been independently confirmed by Dominican or Russian officials.
What It Means for US Readers
Many Dominican families have relatives in New York, New Jersey and Florida, and offers often travel through social media and contacts. The ministry’s advice gives them a simple step: send the offer to Santo Domingo for checking before a relative books a flight.
The case also matters for US policy in the Caribbean, where the Dominican Republic works closely with Washington on security and migration. Bisonó said other governments in the region have issued similar warnings, which suggests the recruitment drive is not limited to one country.
The government is now warning in public and offering a clear route to check offers before anyone leaves. The ministry did not say that any specific offer it has examined was fraudulent, and it named no agency.
What Is Not Known
The ministry did not say how many people have asked it to check an offer, or how many Dominicans are in Russia. The figure of 22 is the number of reports the foreign ministry had by 9 October, not a confirmed count of recruits.
It is not known who recruited the men, whether any Dominican intermediary has been identified, or whether prosecutors have a case. Whether Russian authorities will confirm any number, or let any of the men leave their contracts, also remains unclear.
Earlier coverage is in Dominican Republic Seeks 22 Citizens in Russia’s War and Russian Embassy to Probe Dominicans Recruited for War. Wider context is in Dominican Republic Geopolitics 2026, US, China, Gulf, Dominican Republic’s Role in Latin America Explained and our Santo Domingo city page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the Dominican Labour Ministry announce?
On Wednesday 14 October Labour Minister Eddy Olivares Ortega urged anyone offered work abroad to have it checked by the ministry first. The warning follows complaints that Dominicans who went to Russia for civilian work were drawn into the war in Ukraine.
Are Russia jobs illegal for Dominicans?
Not automatically, the minister said, because the lack of a bilateral labour deal with Russia does not make every contract illegal. He said hiding the real job, changing the terms or sending someone without warning of the risks can seriously violate their rights.
What warning signs did the ministry list?
It named offers with extraordinary pay but vague terms, demands for upfront payments, and middlemen whose identity cannot be checked. It also advised people not to hand over passports or sign contracts they do not fully understand.
How many Dominicans are affected?
Foreign Minister Víctor Bisonó said on 9 October that his ministry had received 22 reports linked to the cases. That is not a confirmed number of recruits, and the total in Russia is not known.
What can families in the United States do?
They can ask the Labour Ministry in Santo Domingo to check any foreign job offer before a relative accepts it or travels. Anyone who has already received a suspicious offer is asked to report it to the Dominican authorities.
Sources: Ministerio de Trabajo, statement of 14 October 2026 (mt.gob.do) and minister’s biography (mt.gob.do); Listín Diario, 9 October 2026 (listindiario.com); Hoy (hoy.com.do); Acento (acento.com.do); El Nacional (elnacional.com.do); RNN (rnn.com.do).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief