During an official working visit to Canada, Dominican Republic’s Foreign Minister Víctor “Ito” Bisonó has formally inaugurated a new regional office of the Institute of Dominicans Abroad (INDEX), marking a key step in deepening the Caribbean nation’s engagement with its large diaspora community north of the border. The new facility is designed to serve as a centralized hub for the more than 700,000 Dominicans estimated to reside across Canada, with a core mission of strengthening bonds between the diaspora and their home country while channeling diaspora contributions toward Dominican development initiatives.
Unlike informal community networks that have previously supported Dominicans in Canada, the new INDEX office will take a structured approach to serving the community. Its core priorities include supporting the growth of local Dominican community organizations, conducting systematic outreach to document the most pressing needs of diaspora members, and building structured connections between Dominican professionals, entrepreneurs, and community groups working in Canada and high-impact development projects back in the Dominican Republic.
In remarks delivered at the inauguration ceremony, Minister Bisonó emphasized that the new office is not just a diplomatic outpost, but a direct reflection of the policy vision set out by Dominican President Luis Abinader. Abinader’s administration has made diaspora integration a top foreign policy priority, focusing on breaking down barriers that have historically prevented Dominicans living abroad from contributing their unique expertise, professional experience, and specialized skills to creating shared economic and social opportunities in both Canada and the Dominican Republic.
Bisonó described the new Canadian office as a dedicated meeting space where Dominican residents can raise any concerns related to consular services, community support, or cross-border collaboration, work to strengthen their existing local organizations, and develop new community and economic initiatives through targeted training programs, cross-border knowledge sharing, and formal partnership agreements with institutions in both countries.
Celinés Toribio, who serves as both Vice Minister for Dominican Communities Abroad and the executive director of INDEX, added that the new representation will prioritize proactive, community-centered outreach. Rather than operating as a top-down administrative office, the team will work across Canadian provinces to build a nuanced understanding of the varying needs of Dominicans in different regions, and create more pathways for diaspora members to participate in initiatives that directly align with their personal and professional interests.
Readers can find more coverage of local and national Dominican news and policy updates on the DominicanScope digital platform.