The Dominican Republic has announced that more than 276,000 Haitians were deported in 2024, with over 94,000 individuals being deported in the last three months of the year alone. This mass deportation effort is part of a new operation aimed at removing up to 10,000 undocumented Haitians per week, as ordered by the Dominican Republic’s National Security and Defense Council led by President Luis Abinader.
According to official statements, 48,344 Haitians were deported during the January-March quarter, 62,446 between April-June, and 71,414 from July to September. The government spokesperson cited an 'excess' of Haitian migrants in the Dominican Republic as the reason for ramping up deportations.
While Dominican authorities assert that the deportations are carried out in compliance with human rights, Haiti’s then-Foreign Minister Dominique Dupuy condemned the deportations as 'brutal scenes of raids and deportations,' calling for justice against 'dehumanizing acts' targeting her compatriots.
In October, footage emerged showing migrants packed into caged law enforcement trucks en route to Haiti. Aid organizations have mobilized to provide assistance to the deportees on the Haitian side of the border.
These mass deportations occur against the backdrop of a deteriorating political and social crisis in Haiti, where gangs reportedly control over 80% of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
