Mass Deportations from Dominican Republic Spark Outcry over human Rights Abuses
Thousands of Haitian migrants are being deported from the Dominican Republic each week, often under harsh and inhumane conditions.
In October 2022,Dominican President Luis Abinader ordered the deportation of at least 10,000 immigrants per week,a move that has been widely criticized by civil organizations.
Migrants recount stories of being rounded up in the middle of the night, beaten, and deported without due process.
“They broke down my door at 4 in the morning,” said odelyn St. Fleur, who had worked as a mason in the Dominican Republic for two decades.”he had been sleeping next to his wife and 7-year-old son.”
– Odelyn St.Fleur,deported Haitian migrant
The number of alleged human rights violations is surging as officials ramp up deportations.
- Unauthorized home raids
- Racial profiling
- Deporting breastfeeding mothers and unaccompanied minors
More than a quarter million people were deported last year, and more than 31,200 in January alone.
“The situation has reached a critical point,” said Roudy Joseph, an activist who accused officials of ignoring due process during arrests. “Every day, children are left abandoned at schools.”
- Roudy Joseph, Haitian activist
Despite the crackdown, many migrants re-enter the Dominican Republic, exposing a broken system.
Jimmy Milien, a 32-year-old floor installer, was deported twice. He was arrested in 2024 and again in mid-January.
“Damn devil Haitian, get off,” he recalled them saying before they even asked for documents.
– Jimmy Milien, deported Haitian migrant
He left behind his wife and two children and doesn’t know when he’ll see them again.
He was planning to travel to HaitiS capital, but like thousands of others dropped off in Belladère, he would have to cross through gang territory where gunmen open fire on public transport.
“There’s no food, there’s nothing, only criminals,” he said of Haiti, where more than 5,600 people were reported killed last year.
– Jimmy Milien, deported Haitian migrant
If milien were to return a third time to the Dominican Republic, dozens of smugglers await.
Mack, a Haitian who only gave his first name, said he ferries migrants across the border up to six times a week.
“If you pay them, they will let you through,” he said.
– Mack, Haitian smuggler
He lived almost three years in Santo Domingo, installing drywall until he got deported. He then joined a thriving smuggling operation.
“Here, everyone knows me,” he said. “They don’t bother me.”
Military checkpoints dot the road leading out of the dusty border to the Dominican capital. Authorities board buses, stick their heads into car windows, and detain suspected undocumented migrants.
The influx of Haitian migrants and their attempts to re-enter illegally is something that vexes Vice Admiral Luis Rafael Lee Ballester, dominican migration director.
“The Dominican Republic…has taken too much responsibility for the situation in Haiti,” he said. “we are willing to provide support, but its crucial that Haiti’s leaders instill order in their country, that they look after their people.”
– Vice Admiral Luis Rafael Lee Ballester, dominican migration director
Dominican officials argue that Haitian immigrants have overburdened the country’s public services.
Ballester said he will deploy additional migration officials across the country to tackle what he described as a surge in undocumented immigrants.
while he denied abuse allegations, he acknowledged officials are allowed to enter homes “during a hot pursuit” and that personnel are being retrained ”because our commitment to respecting human rights is unquestionable.”
Ballester said the Dominican Republic does not deport unaccompanied minors and that officials now separate women and children from men during deportations.
But in late January, five teenagers without their parents were deported. Among them was Jovenson Morette, 15, who said he was detained while working in a field.
Further north, in the Haitian border town of Ouanaminthe, a 10-year-old unaccompanied girl was deported in late January.
“These children are amongst the most vulnerable,” she said, noting that gangs along the border prey on them.
– Geeta Narayan, UNICEF’s representative in Haiti
Last year, the Dominican Republic deported 1,099 unaccompanied children; 786 of them were reunited with their families, according to UNICEF.
Josette jean, 45, feared for her 16-year-old son, who was born in the Dominican Republic, when he was recently deported alone to Haiti.
“Children who are born here have no idea where to go,” she said of those deported to Haiti, a country her son had never visited.
– Josette Jean, Haitian mother
A significant number of those deported, like Jean’s son, were born in the Dominican Republic but lack birth certificates or other official documentation proving their legal status.
As mass deportations continue, Dominican employers in the agriculture and construction industries are complaining.
Ballester’s response? Hire Dominican workers.
At least one cell phone was recording when Mikelson germain, 25, tried to evade Dominican authorities late last year. He was running on a roof when an official caught him and pushed him off it.
“By the grace of god, I fell on an electrical wire first,” Germain said in a video taped by a nonprofit organization.
– Mikelson Germain, deported Haitian migrant</
When did the Dominican Republic begin deporting Haitian Migrants?
October 2022
Who ordered the deportation of Haitian migrants from the Dominican Republic?
Dominican President Luis Abinader
How many Haitian migrants are being deported from the Dominican Republic each week?
10,000 Haitian migrants are being deported from the Dominican Republic each week
What are the alleged human right violations being reported during the deportations? What types of abuse and inhumane conditions are undocumented immigrants subjected to?
- Unauthorized home raids
- Racial profiling
- deporting breastfeeding mothers and unaccompanied minors
- Beatings
- Extreme physical force during arrests
- Entering homes without proper authorization
- Denying due process
How many people were deported last year?
More than a quarter million people were deported last year, and more than 31,200 in January alone.
Which United Nations agency has condemned the Dominican Republic’s treatment of Haitian migrants?
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR)
What is the stance of Dominican Republic officials on the alleged abuses?
Dominican officials deny the allegations of abuse
