Dominican Republic granted over 60,000 residency permits to Haitians since 2018

Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Republic has granted 60,306 residency permits to Haitian citizens between 2018 and 2026, making Haiti the country whose nationals have received the highest number of residency approvals during that period, according to data from the central government’s Open Data portal.

The figures show the country approved an average of 6,701 residency permits per year, or about 558 per month, although the database does not specify how many were temporary, permanent, or definitive residencies.

The data contrasts with the government’s intensified immigration enforcement efforts. Since 2024, Dominican authorities have deported approximately 670,500 undocumented Haitian nationals, including 196,321 repatriations during the first half of 2026.

Recurring political, economic, and humanitarian crises in Haiti have continued to drive migration to the Dominican Republic, while the Dominican government has simultaneously expanded deportation operations and maintained legal residency programs.