Amnesty International called on Dominican President Luis Abinader, elected for a second term, to prioritize respect for human rights and end racist migration policies, in a statement on Wednesday 28 August 2024.
“Since 2022, the Dominican Republic has become the country that expels the largest number of displaced Haitians, despite the call by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to States in November 2022 to stop forced returns to Haiti,” the statement read.
The organization highlights the urgent need for Dominican institutions to combat racial profiling, racism and racial discrimination. Amnesty International demands that the Dominican authorities guarantee respect for the human dignity and physical integrity of Haitian migrants and Dominicans of Haitian origin.
For Amnesty International, the start of the mandate of the new government of Luis Abinader, on 16 August, must be marked by a clear commitment to overcome the human rights challenges observed and documented in recent months.
Ana Piquer, director of the organization’s Americas program, stressed the importance of implementing migration policies that respect the dignity and human rights of all people.
“President Abinader, through CONANI, must guarantee the best interests of the child and refrain from expelling and detaining Haitian children based on their migration status or that of their mother and/or father,” said Ana Piquer.
It should be noted that the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that 208,166 Haitians were expelled in 2023, including more than 20,000 adolescents and children. Since the beginning of the current year, the Dominican Republic has expelled 98,594 Haitians, including more than 5,000 minors.
Amnesty International says that many of these expulsions have been collective, in violation of the principle of non-refoulement and the right to asylum of Haitians. “Collective expulsions are contrary to the Dominican Republic’s international obligations because they do not allow for an individualized assessment of the protection needs of each person affected, nor of the risks that people would face if returned to Haiti,” the organization emphasizes.
Furthermore, Amnesty International denounces that these expulsions are carried out within the framework of discriminatory migratory operations, establishing racial profiles and not guaranteeing the principle of equality and non-discrimination.
The organization also mentions the conflict related to the construction of the canal on the Massacre River, shared between the two countries. This conflict has led to the suspension by the Dominicans of the issuance of visas to Haitians, the militarization of the border, the implementation of biometric controls at the border and the closure of migratory routes.
Amnesty International notes that the suspension of visas for Haitians has led to the closure of legal avenues of entry into the country, limited family reunification options and made it difficult to access education and employment.
L’organisation claims to have collected worrying testimonies from victims and local civil society organisations, and has examined videos showing the discriminatory and dehumanising practices of migration operations, detention conditions and transfers of people.
