Dominican Republic begins Mass deportation of Haitians migrants

The Dominican Republic announced on Tuesday that it has deported or repatriated nearly 11,000 Haitians in the past week, fulfilling its commitment to conduct weekly deportations as Haiti grapples with an influx of individuals amid rampant gang violence and extreme poverty.

The Dominican government had previously stated its plan to deport up to 10,000 Haitians weekly, citing an “excess” of immigrants and reflecting deteriorating relations between the two countries that share the island of Hispaniola. This wave of deportations is the largest in recent history.

In response, Haitian officials have called for an emergency meeting at the Organization of American States. Gandy Thomas, Haiti’s permanent representative, condemned the deportations as “a strategy of ethnic cleansing” and characterized them as a “discriminatory campaign” against Haitians based on their nationality and skin color.

Thomas emphasized the need for dialogue and a “respectful solution,” warning that the deportations would further destabilize Haiti’s already fragile infrastructure. He highlighted that the returning deportees would face significant challenges, arriving without support, resources, or connections to their communities.