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Dominican Republic expels over 10,000 Haitians and plans to do so every week

A man holding a child lines up to get medical attention at Ecole National Joseph C Bernard DeFreres Displacement Camp. Residents of areas in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, have been forced to take refuge in camps such as this rather than stay in gang-occupied territory. (Jose Iglesias/Miami Herald/TNS) (Jose Iglesias)
By Ana Vanessa Herrero Washington Post

The Dominican Republic announced this week that it had repatriated or deported almost 11,000 Haitians as a part of a new large-scale plan to curb Haitian migration to the country.

The mass deportations come amid deteriorating relations between the two countries. Haiti, which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic, has been crippled by poverty and gang violence. The country is governed by an interim council and prime minister in anticipation of a February 2026 election, and a United Nations-backed security force was deployed in June to help Haitian authorities combat gangs and regain control of their institutions. Many Haitians have fled the country on account of the violence and instability.

In a statement last week, Dominican Republic officials explained that the “slow” results of that U.N.-backed security mission had prompted them to execute the plan.

The Dominican Republic says that under its new policy, it intends to expel 10,000 Haitians every week.

At least 66,000 Haitians were deported in the first half of 2024. Under the new plan, at least 500,000 Haitians would be deported in one year – double the number deported from the Dominican Republic in 2023.

“The forced and mass deportation of our Haitian compatriots from the Dominican Republic is a violation of the fundamental principles of human dignity,” Garry Conille, the Haitian prime minister, wrote on X.

On Tuesday, Haiti’s acting representative to the Organization of American States, Ambassador Gandy Thomas, denounced what he called the “discriminatory campaign” being carried out by the Dominican Republic against Haitians based on their nationality.

“Despite the advances in human rights in our region, we are unfortunately witnessing serious violations of the rights of Haitian citizens in the Dominican Republic, often in search of security or better opportunities,” Thomas said during a special session on the situation of Haitian migrants in the Dominican Republic at the OAS.

“The Haitian government is deeply concerned by these authoritarian and discriminatory migration policies, which also exacerbate hate speech against Haitian migrants,” he said.

At the OAS, the Dominican Republic defended its actions, stating that its government rejects any accusations of mistreatment.

The plan has alarmed the international community and human rights organizations.

“Neither the transitional authorities nor the international community present in Haiti have the capacity to care for the returned population,” Nathalye Cotrino, a researcher in the crisis, conflict and arms division at Human Rights Watch, told the Washington Post. “The president of the Dominican Republic should stop deportations until violence and instability no longer threaten the lives and integrity of Haitians.”

Although the Dominican Republic implemented the plan last week, it is not new. In April, Homero Figueroa, spokesperson for the president of the Dominican Republic, announced deportations as one of the government’s priorities.

“We have always seen Haitians getting in. The difference now is that they’re also getting out,” Figueroa said.