ECNETNews, New York, NY, Tues. October 8, 2024: The Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) has issued a strong condemnation of the Dominican Republic’s recent decision to deport up to 10,000 Haitian nationals weekly. The organization warns that this policy threatens to exacerbate the ongoing humanitarian crisis faced by Haitians both domestically and internationally.
As an advocacy group dedicated to humane immigration policies, HBA emphasizes the urgency of addressing the needs of marginalized communities, including Haitian migrants, women, children, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and survivors of human rights abuses. The organization denounces the deportation initiative as a significant violation of basic human rights, undermining efforts to manage migration in a dignified manner.
“With Haiti currently grappling with political instability, humanitarian crises, rampant gang violence, and natural disasters, forcibly returning thousands to an unsafe environment is wholly unacceptable,” HBA stated. They highlighted that over 700,000 women and children have been displaced in Haiti, with 80% of Port-au-Prince under gang control. The group cautioned that these deportations would further destabilize the region and worsen the dire living conditions that many Haitians are fleeing.
HBA also raised alarms about systemic xenophobia and racial profiling, asserting that the mass expulsions seem to disproportionately target Haitians based on ethnicity and immigration status. They called on the international community to hold the Dominican Republic accountable for the rights of migrants.
Guerline Jozef, HBA’s Executive Director, characterized the policy as “inhumane,” urging the Dominican government to cease deportations and work collaboratively with regional entities to establish sustainable migration solutions. “We need solidarity, not division, to uphold human rights across borders,” Jozef emphasized.
The Haitian government has echoed these concerns, urging the Dominican Republic to respect the rights of Haitian migrants. Haitian Foreign Minister Dominique Dupuy referred to the deportation plan as “regrettable,” stressing the importance of protecting the rights of all individuals, particularly vulnerable populations such as women and children of Haitian descent.
Rising Anti-Immigrant Sentiment
Simultaneously, anti-Haitian sentiment has surged in the Dominican Republic. Recent protests organized by Antigua Nueva Orden Dominicana near the National Palace demanded stricter measures to curtail Haitian migration. This demonstration coincided with President Luis Abinader’s address at the UN General Assembly, where he called for intensified international efforts to stabilize Haiti, labeling it a “strategic necessity” for regional security.
Despite repeated calls from international bodies to halt forced repatriations to Haiti amid escalating gang violence, the Dominican government has declared that mass deportations will commence “immediately.” Presidential spokesperson Homero Figueroa stated that the initiative aims to diminish what they consider “excessive migrant populations” in Dominican communities.
This announcement follows a UN report indicating that over 3,600 people were killed in Haiti during the first half of 2024, amidst the ongoing violence. Haiti continues to struggle with widespread gang control, resulting in the displacement of hundreds of thousands and leaving nearly half of its population facing severe hunger.
US Official Visit to Address Security
In related news, US Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Todd D. Robinson is set to visit the Dominican Republic this week to discuss security cooperation and combat transnational crime. This visit follows high-level meetings between US and Dominican officials aimed at enhancing regional security.
