The Dominican Republic intensified its crackdown on illegal immigration in 2024, deporting over 276,000 Haitians, according to official data cited by CNN.
This surge in expulsions, described as one of the largest law enforcement campaigns in the region’s recent history, has sparked intense debates surrounding human rights and regional cooperation.
The operation, spearheaded by the National Security and Defense Council under President Luis Abinader, targets the deportation of up to 10,000 undocumented Haitians each week.
In the final quarter of 2024 alone, more than 94,000 individuals were deported, culminating a year of steady increases in expulsions: 48,344 in the first quarter, 62,446 in the second, and 71,414 in the third, CNN reported.
Government officials have defended the initiative as a necessary response to what they describe as a disproportionate influx of Haitian migrants.
“We are facing an excess of Haitian migrants on our territory,” government spokesman Homero Figueroa stated during a press conference in October.
However, the policy has drawn significant criticism.
Former Haitian Foreign Minister Dominique Dupuy denounced the deportations as “brutal” and “dehumanizing acts” against Haitian citizens, urging the Dominican government to uphold principles of justice and accountability.
Since then, Dupuy has been dismissed by Haiti’s Collège présidentiel de transition and replaced by Arvel Victor, who has remained silent on the systematic repression of Haitians by Dominican authorities. Critics have accused the Dominican government of enforcing racist policies, with individuals often deported based solely on their skin color.
Numerous cases of mistaken identity have also emerged. In one instance, an American citizen was severely beaten by Dominican police who mistook him for a Haitian and attempted to deport him. Similarly, a U.S. Army veteran of Haitian descent was assaulted by Dominican police.
Images of overcrowded deportation vehicles, captured by outlets such as Reuters, have fueled outrage among human rights organizations.
Although Dominican authorities claim that the deportations are conducted in compliance with human rights standards, aid groups stationed along the Haitian border report that many deportees arrive destitute and vulnerable, requiring immediate assistance.
The mass deportations are occurring amidst a worsening crisis in Haiti, where gangs control more than 80% of Port-au-Prince. Deportees often find themselves returning to dangerous and unstable conditions.
The Dominican Republic’s migration policies resemble the hardline approach championed by Donald Trump. The country has gone further, enacting a constitutional amendment retroactively stripping citizenship from thousands of Dominicans of Haitian descent, including those who have never lived in Haiti.
International laws and treaties guarantee the right to protection for individuals seeking refuge in foreign countries. However, these protections are frequently ignored in the case of Haitians in the Dominican Republic.