Dominican military personnel carry Haitian migrants rounded up in raids to a migrant detention center. Photo: EFE/Orlando Barria.
The repression of Haitian migrants in the Dominican Republic has escalated in recent months, as Dominican authorities have implemented stricter policies, including mass deportations and restricting access to basic services.
Since late 2024, Dominican authorities have deported more than 180,000 Haitians. This has generated great concern at the national and international level, because of the constant violations of human rights during the deportation process.
The most heavily criticized measures include detentions in hospitals and restrictions on access to health services, especially for pregnant women, who in some cases have been detained while receiving medical attention.
According to the Center of Attention to Children, around 900 unaccompanied children have been deported, even though the Dominican Constitution prohibits the expulsion of members of vulnerable groups.
The Dominican authorities justified the actions by alleging coordination with Haitian authorities, although they did not make any information public until after the deportations had been carried out.
UN experts warned about these cases and emphasized the risk faced by pregnant women, nursing mothers, and minors.
Cases of black Dominicans being mistaken for Haitians have been recorded also. Black Dominicans, detained erroneously as Haitians, remained for several days in detention centers such as the one in Haina, Santo Domingo, during the racist “purification” processes.
Dominican President Luis Abinader defends the policies as an exercise of sovereignty to “protect national resources,” while some Dominican legislators call for more deportations with the argument that the Haitian migratory burden represents a strain on Dominican public services.
The United Nations has urged the country to follow international law, irrespective of a person’s migratory status, and to respect human rights in the context of deportations.
(Telesur)
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/DZ
