The Dominican Republic has deported nearly 11,000 Haitians in the past week, pledging to continue this weekly amid Haiti’s struggles with poverty and gang violence. The government plans to deport up to 10,000 Haitians per week, leading to tensions between the neighboring countries of Hispaniola.
Haitian officials have called for an emergency meeting at the Organization of American States in response to the mass deportations. The Prime Minister of Haiti criticized the deportations as a violation of human dignity.
Activists warn that the deportations are endangering the lives of thousands, exacerbating Haiti’s challenges with gang violence and poverty. The UN-backed mission in Haiti faces funding and personnel shortages as it works to address gang violence.
The deportations have left many children abandoned in the Dominican Republic, leading to concerns about a persecution against Black people. Even individuals with legal documents are being detained and deported, with reports of extortion rising.
The Dominican Republic’s migration director maintains that human rights are being respected, although some migrants with documents were detained due to lack of reliable identification. From Oct. 1-7, 7,591 people were deported and 3,323 were repatriated, all of whom were Haitian.
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