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Thousands of Haitians have been deported from the Dominican Republic in October and November 2022, despite a call by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to stop the expulsions amid the health and security crisis in Haiti. Human rights groups in Haiti denounced the deportations and accuse the Dominican authorities of applying a racist immigration policy.
The Dominican Republic claims to have deported 22,000 Haitians in October alone. But NGOs in Haiti have accused the Dominican authorities of arbitrary expulsions and racially motivated arrests.
“Currently, the situation is extremely complicated for Haitian migrants in the Dominican Republic since their rights continue to be violated. They are mistreated, taken from their homes at night and taken directly, regardless of their condition or situation. Not knowing if they are there legally or not. The idea is not to persecute Haitian immigrants who are in the country illegally, but to expel all Haitians who reach Dominican soil,” says Sam Guillaume, an advocate with GARR, a support group for Haitian refugees.
The Government of the Dominican Republic has denied any type of racism and promised to take more drastic measures. But Guillaume reports that it is increasingly difficult to find the necessary resources to help repatriated Haitian immigrants.
More than 150 gangs operate in Haiti, a country plagued by poverty and where its first victims are often the civilian population. It is in this context that the Dominican Republic has deported more than 100,000 Haitians so far in 2022.
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