Dominican Republic ‘to deport up to 10,000 migrants a week’

The Dominican Republic is gearing up to deport as many as 10,000 undocumented migrants each week as part of a strategy to tackle the challenges posed by unchecked migration. Homero Figueroa, a spokesperson for President Luis Abinader, pointed to the sluggish response from the international community to ongoing gang violence in Haiti and the lack of regional stability as critical factors behind this decision.

With tens of thousands of Haitians crossing into the Dominican Republic to escape unbearable conditions marked by rampant gang violence and dire poverty, the government’s measures have sparked significant criticism. Many have accused President Abinader’s administration of treating Haitian migrants in an inhumane manner.

Figueroa made it clear that deportations would begin immediately, following strict protocols designed to uphold human rights. This statement indicates a notable surge in the deportation rates for undocumented Haitians.

In recent months, as gang violence in Haiti has escalated, Dominican authorities have been progressively returning Haitians at the shared border, with multiple truckloads being sent back daily at the Dajabon crossing. Figueroa noted that this volume could rise to nearly 10,000 individuals weekly, which he described as an “excess” of Haitian migrants within the Dominican Republic. He also mentioned plans for enhanced surveillance and control measures at the border.

During a recent address to the United Nations General Assembly, the Dominican president communicated his willingness to undertake “drastic measures” in response to the humanitarian crisis unfolding across the border. These latest comments about mass deportations reflect growing frustration in Santo Domingo over the international community’s failure to take effective action to stabilize Haiti.

To address the urgent situation, an international security force led by Kenya, comprising around 400 officers, has been deployed to Haiti. However, many gangs continue to dominate large areas of the capital, worsening the humanitarian emergency, particularly in terms of hunger, access to clean drinking water, and medical care.

According to the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM), last year alone, the Dominican Republic forcibly returned over 200,000 individuals to Haiti.