Haitian migrants expelled from the Dominican Republic face dire conditions as committee struggles with lack of resources

OUANAMINTHE— At the crowded reception center for deportees near the Ouanaminthe-Dajabon border, 39-year-old Judeline Louis, a single mother of six, stands exhausted. Louis was deported with her 6-month-old baby, no clothes for the infant and no way to support the five children she left behind. Her skin is caked with dirt and sweat, a stark reminder of the harsh conditions she endured during her imprisonment before deportation.

“They arrested me yesterday morning inside my house and since then the child and I have not had a bath, comfortable rest and food” Louis said.

Despite the brief relief of finding something to feed her baby, the fatigue is etched into Judeline Louis’s face—her sleepless nights and constant worries visible in her worn-out eyes. Her disheveled hair, soiled clothes, and haggard expression reflect the toll taken by the degrading conditions of deportation.

Her baby, fragile and vulnerable, rests under her thigh, seeking warmth amid the noise and chaos. Barely six months old, the infant’s first months of life have been marked by misery and deprivation, without the basic care needed for healthy development.

“I will return to the Dominican Republic to sell everything I own to return to live in my country in Port Margot,” Judeline said, referencing the commune 37 kilometers from Cap-Haïtien and 96 kilometers from Ouanaminthe.

Judeline was just one of the dozens of migrants deported on October 8 at 9:05 p.m., and one of the more than 800 people sent back earlier that day, all subjected to harsh conditions and flagrant violations of their fundamental rights.

“I was in a falcon with 80 people, including children and adults, who had not washed for two days,” said one of the people deported on that night.

According to Dominican authorities, as reported by the Dominican newspaper Listin Diario, more than 18,000 Haitians were deported in October 2024 alone. Among them are Haitians born in the Dominican Republic—some to Dominican parents—who have been uprooted from their homes and expelled under deplorable conditions, torn from the only country they have ever known.

“It is the country’s crisis that made us leave the country two years ago, my children were born in the Dominican Republic,” said a young mother who wished to remain anonymous and was deported with her half-Dominican children on Sunday, October 13, 2024

Initiatives by state authorities in the north-eastern department to support migrants

In a municipality devastated by fire since February 2024, without an operating budget or preparation to address the needs of migrants, and lacking an emergency plan, the local government is overwhelmed, according to Luma Demetrius in an interview with journalist Chenot Roceny on Oct. 8, 2024.

 Demetrius stressed that the municipality lacks the economic and financial means to manage the influx of migrants at the border and believes that only genuine unity can resolve this long-standing crisis.

“I will continue to discuss with immigration and customs authorities to put in place the barrier at the Ouanaminthe-Dajabón border to prevent late deportations,” said Mayor Luma Démetrius in a statement. 

In response to the urgent need to coordinate humanitarian efforts and protect migrants, at the request of Haitian Prime Minister Dr. Garry Conille, Northeast Departmental Delegate Moïse Charles-Pierre convened a meeting on Thursday, October 10, 2024, at the Civil Protection office in Fort-Liberté. Representatives from state institutions and non-governmental organizations working on migration and human rights issues attended, aiming to develop measures to support Haitian migrants arriving at the Ouanaminthe-Dajabón border in dire conditions.

As part of this initiative, Delegate Moise established an 11-member committee to address what he called a deportation crisis and an emergency at the boarder. The committee is comprised of representatives from ONM, PNH, Immigration, MSPP, the Vice Delegation, Ouanaminthe City Hall, IBERS, Civil Protection, the Environment Ministry, Women’s Conditions, and Customs.

Without prior funding, this committee is tasked with coordinating efforts across all sectors dealing with expulsions at the Ouanaminthe border. Despite the increasing number of migrants arriving daily, the committee faces a critical challenge: it has no financial resources.

“I don’t know if the delegate has funds from the government, or if the government has money available to meet the migrants’ needs. If there are no funds, this will continue as before,” said Remy Occean, head of the Social Welfare and Research Institute.

“There is a government structure that has just been created with several institutions that are considering the possibilities of creating a dynamic to make resources available to expelled migrants to welcome them with dignity,”

Emmanuel Pierre, Director General of Civil Protection

During his visit to the Ouanaminthe-Dajabón border to assess the deportation crisis, Director General of Civil Protection Emmanuel Pierre emphasized the government’s ongoing collaboration with ministries and organizations to monitor and protect migrants’ rights and to facilitate their reintegration into their communities.

“The government is implementing multi-sectoral plans to welcome and reintegrate them. It is not only a responsibility of the state but of every Haitian,” Emmanuel said.

Among the initiatives to help migrants, especially women who face infectious diseases as a result of rape and sexual violence suffered during their deportation, the Departmental Director of Public Health in the Northeast, Dr. Jean-Denis Pierre also went down to the Dajabon border along with Departmental Delegate Moïse at one of the points receiving more migrants in the country.

“We ask the central government and its partners working in the health sector to provide us with the means to consult more migrants than usual,” Jean-Denis said in a statement. 

Meanwhile, individuals and associations have mobilized to provide essential assistance to migrants, offering food, clothing, transportation, and psychosocial support to help them return to their communities and rebuild their lives.

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No reception center for migrants in Ouanaminthe

In spite of the huge sums invested by the government and NGOs in helping migrants, Haitians continue to be expelled from the Dominican Republic. To help migrants expelled especially in the evening and those who have family in the hinterland, the authorities and Non-Governmental Organizations favor temporary public spaces for expelled migrants as opposed to setting up reception centers for migrants. Food, water, medical care, and a full stay in compliance are often not possible in temporary public spaces.

“In relation to the mass deportations that the Dominican Republic is currently carrying out, we need a safe and secure place to welcome our compatriots, that is why we have chosen the border market,” Moïse said.

“There is no real space built for migrants yet, but in the proposal of the response plan that the committee set up by the delegate is working on, the construction of a shelter for migrants is planned” Occean said.

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Haitian migrants expelled from the Dominican Republic face dire conditions as committee struggles with lack of resources was first posted on October 24, 2024 at 12:20 pm.