The Dominican Republic has reportedly deported nearly 11,000 Haitian migrants back to their home country in recent days. The Associated Press noted that the mass deportation is the largest of its kind in recent history for Hispaniola, the island that the Dominican Republic and Haiti share. According to the publication, the Spanish-speaking country claims to have deported 7,591, and repatriated 3,323, all of whom were Haitian migrants. The exiling reportedly occurred from October 1 to October 7.
Reuters separately reported that over 9,000 were deported, with over 4,900 of the total being Haitians. The later source noted that the Dominican Republic’s migration agency said the deportations occurred over the month.
What Caused The Dominican Republic’s Mass Deportation Of Haitian Migrants?
Homero Figueroa, a spokesperson for the Dominican Republic’s government, said the actions come after an “excess” of Haitians moving there. Notably, the Dominican Republic reportedly deported anywhere from 174,000 to over 200,000 Haitians in 2023.
Human Rights Watch claims that last year, “Haiti’s security, justice, political, and humanitarian crises worsened.” In addition to an increase in violence by gangs, 40% of the French-speaking country’s population lived with “acute food insecurity.” Other structural barriers to well-being in the nation included limited access to clean water, health care, sanitation, and more.
How Have Haitian Authorities Responded?
On October 8, Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille condemned the actions of his nation’s neighboring country. He noted his instruction to “coordinate and strengthen” Haiti’s “diplomatic and humanitarian response.”
“The forced and mass deportation of our Haitian compatriots from the Dominican Republic is a violation of the fundamental principles of human dignity,” the Haitian leader tweeted.
The forced and mass deportation of our Haitian compatriots from the Dominican Republic is a violation of the fundamental principles of human dignity. Following the emergency meeting convened last week by MHAVE, with the participation of relevant ministers, local associations, and…
— Garry Conille (@ConilleGarry) October 8, 2024
“The brutal scenes of roundups and deportations that we are witnessing are an affront to human dignity,” added Haitian Foreign Minister Dominique Dupuy, also on X. “We strongly condemn these dehumanizing acts and demand respect and justice.”
Earlier this year, the State Department urged American citizens to leave Haiti “as soon as possible.” The United States currently classifies the Caribbean nation as a “Level 4: Do Not Travel” zone.
