Amnesty International demands investigation into the death of a young man in immigration operation in the Dominican Republic
Amnesty International (AI) on Wednesday called for an “immediate, independent, impartial and exhaustive” investigation into the death of a young man of possible Haitian origin, allegedly during a migration operation in Punta Cana on October 3.
The organization said in a statement that the Dominican authorities must clarify the circumstances of the death, determine possible responsibilities, and guarantee justice for the family of the victim who, according to local media, died after being shot by an agent of the General Directorate of Migration during the operation, about which the authorities have not given information.
Amnesty International’s director for the Americas, Ana Piquer, said that “for years,” both AI and Dominican and Haitian organizations “have documented racial profiling practices, arbitrary detentions, collective deportations and other forms of violence and discrimination within the framework of the State’s migration policies.”
In this sense, Piquer considered that the Dominican authorities “must take this context into account in their investigations and ensure that those responsible for human rights violations are held accountable.”
Amnesty International said that the intentional use of lethal force can only be used when strictly unavoidable to protect a life and said that a person’s migration status does not justify an unlawful use of force.
The Dominican State “has the obligation not only to investigate this death, but to put an end to policies and practices that violate human rights and discriminate against people based on their national origin or skin color,” the NGO warned.
“The authorities must ensure that no one loses their freedom, safety or life as a result of a migration policy marked by racism. Violence, discrimination and impunity cannot continue to be part of the State’s response to migration,” Amnesty concluded.
Since October 2024, the Dominican Executive has been implementing a deportation plan with which it has sought to repatriate 10,000 Haitians per week to control irregular immigration.
According to official figures, between January and July of this year, 250,429 undocumented Haitians were deported to their country, which is experiencing a crisis in all areas.
