Haiti calls for respect of immigrant rights

The Dominican government’s new deportation policy aims to address what it describes as a “migrant overpopulation” issue. Dominican presidential spokesman Homero Figueroa stated that the repatriations would be conducted under strict protocols to ensure human rights and dignity are maintained. Figueroa highlighted the slow progress of international efforts in stabilizing Haiti and emphasized that the Dominican Republic must act decisively to protect its security and stability.

The move comes after Dominican President Luis Abinader’s recent statement at the UN General Assembly, where he cited instability in Haiti as a significant factor affecting Dominican security. The Dominican Republic has already deported over 66,000 Haitians in the first half of this year alone, contributing to the larger figure of 216,000 deportations from neighboring countries reported by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in 2023. Despite ongoing criticism from various international organizations, the Dominican government remains firm in its stance on the deportation policy.