The Dominican authorities plan to deport up to ten thousand migrants a week. This will primarily affect Haitians, thousands of whom cross the border to escape from their homeland ravaged by violence. – We are forced to act decisively – said the president's spokesman.
Homero Figueroa, presidential spokesman Dominican Republic Luis Abinader, announced on Wednesday the government's “immediate” plan to deport immigrants arriving in this country. It is primarily about Haitians who are crossing the border en masse, fleeing gang violence and poverty in their own country.
Deportations from the Dominican Republic
In a statement, Figueroa noted the slow progress and limited impact supported by UN a peace mission whose goal is to take back control of Haiti from the gangs. – Facing this reality, we are forced to act decisively – said the president's spokesman. To Haiti approximately 400 policemen from Kenya arrivedto support the Caribbean country in its fight against armed criminals, but the violence has not yet stopped.
The announced plan envisages the Dominican Republic deporting up to 10,000 people. migrants per week, as well as increasing the number of officers and drones patrolling the border and building “temporary repatriation camps”. As stated by the authorities of the Dominican Republic, whose main source of income is tourism, this must be done with respect human rights.
Haiti in crisis
According to UN data, in 2023 alone, over 200,000. Haitians were forcibly returned to their country from the Dominican Republic. According to the BBC, people are turned away, among others. in several trucks a day through the border crossing in the city of Dajabon. The announcement of the new deportation plan means this number could increase significantly. The mass flight of Haitians mainly affects the Dominican Republic because it is the only country that has a land border with Haiti.
The re-elected president of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, promised a tough stance towards the problem of immigration from Haiti. He recently warned at the UN General Assembly that his government is ready to take “drastic measures” in the face of the humanitarian crisis at the border.
At the same time, the UN appealed, among others, to the Dominican Republic and the United States to refrain from deporting people back to Haiti, where living conditions are extremely difficult and hunger already affects almost half of the population in this country of 11 million people.
Main photo source: Mentor David Lorens/EFE/PAP/EPA