Tuesday April 2nd, 2024, Amnesty International urged the Dominican Government to put an end to "the violations of fundamental rights suffered by Haitians, Dominicans of Haitian origin and black people" in the application of its immigration policy, which the organization has described as racist.

In an open letter addressed to the President of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, and State institutions, Amnesty International, along with six other organizations including the National Commission for Human Rights (CNDH), stated that these policies immigration policies are based on racial discrimination... and generate discriminatory effects for the racialized exclusion of Haitian and Dominican peoples.

The signatories of this letter call on the Dominican authorities to guarantee Haitians access "to asylum procedures, without any discrimination" and "to reestablish legal channels of entry and stay for workers, students, people in seeking asylum, migrants seeking legal residence in the country, as well as within the framework of family reunification."

Reacting to Amnesty International's intervention, Venancio Alcántara, the Director General of Immigration, described what Amnesty International said as "abusive",

saying these accusations are reckless and denied that foreigners transferred to their countries of origin are mistreated.

Alcántara assured that the ban processes are carried out in accordance with the provisions of Law 275-04, with respect for human rights and in accordance with international standards of which the Dominican Republic is a signatory.

Likewise, he affirmed that immigration would continue with the expulsion and repatriation of all Haitian foreigners or other nationalities in an irregular migratory situation affirming "The General Directorate of Migration (DGM) rejects any type of interference in its national immigration policy and that any foreign institution interferes in the actions of the Dominican State in accordance with what is established by the Constitution, Dominican laws and international conventions."

So far this year, the DGM has repatriated 45,640 Haitians and 60,453 have returned voluntarily, for a total of 106,093 in addition to Haitians in an irregular migratory situation, 7 Americans, 3 Colombians, 1 Cuban, 1 Venezuelan, 1 Dutch and 1 have been deporte. In 2023, the Dominican Government expelled more than 250,000 Haitian nationals from its territory.

S/ HaitiLibre