At least 1,700 Haitian migrants, including 76 children and a dozen pregnant women, have been deported by the Dominican Republic in the last two weeks, reports the Support Group for Repatriates and Refugees (GARR).
The NGO denounces a “campaign of persecution” of Haitians by the Dominican authorities, which it accuses of having committed “numerous human rights violations”.
Several migrants arrived in Haiti “with clear signs of physical abuse” and many said they were detained in their homes or workplaces, which immigration officials had access to without judicial authorization.
Last week, authorities in the Dominican Republic launched a major operation against undocumented immigrants in Ciudad Juan Bosch, an urbanization east of Santo Domingo.
On May 18, a group of Haitians greeted migration agents with stones, and the next day the Directorate General of Migration (DGM) responded by detaining 385 Haitians in the area.
For its part, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) expressed concern about the rising tide of dangerous migrant and refugee crossings through the Caribbean Sea, and called on countries in the region to help them meet maritime rescue obligations.
The organization made the call two days after 800 Haitian refugees, including a newborn baby, landed on Cuba’s northern coast when the U.S.-bound ship they were traveling on drifted after being abandoned by the captain.
UNHCR spokeswoman Shabia Mantoo pointed out that in recent months Haiti has been the main source of such crossings: the U.S. Coast Guard reported intercepting nearly 3,900 Haitians in 2022, more than double the number recorded in the same period last year. At least 175 Haitians went missing or died on these voyages, according to U.S. Coast Guard figures.
Ducasse Mackendy