Advocacy group demands justice for two Haitian girls who died at a Mexican migrant center

PORT-AU-PRINCE — The Support Group for Repatriated and Refugees (GARR) is calling for a thorough investigation and accountability after two Haitian girls were found dead at a migrant transit center in Oaxaca, a state in southern Mexico.

The bodies of the girls, ages 4 and 5, were discovered on Feb. 24 in a septic tank at Casa Hogar Patos, a facility managed by Oaxaca’s Integral Family Development agency, known as DIF-Oaxaca. According to GARR, the children had been admitted to the center with their mother, who believed it would provide a safe environment while they awaited immigration processing.

“The center was supposed to be a safe place to shelter the mother and her children in search of a better life, a place meant to protect their well-being,” GARR said Feb. 27 in a statement. The organization expressed condolences to the family and denounced what it described as serious failures in prevention and protection measures.

GARR said the septic tank where the girls were found lacked basic safety protections and was not adequately secured or monitored by staff.

The Attorney General of Oaxaca confirmed that an investigation is underway. Two officials — the center’s director and the general coordinator of state reception centers under DIF — have been dismissed. However, GARR noted that no one has yet been formally held responsible.

The Haitian migrant rights group also cited previous reports of alleged abuse, food rationing and irregularities in social assistance management within facilities overseen by DIF-Oaxaca.

GARR urged Mexican authorities to conduct a transparent and rigorous inquiry and called on the Haitian government to provide legal guidance and psychological support to the grieving mother.

Broader risks for Haitian migrant children

The deaths have renewed concerns about the safety of Haitian migrant children in transit and host countries. As insecurity and economic hardship continue to push Haitians to migrate, families often rely on shelters and reception centers that may lack adequate oversight.

Recent incidents elsewhere in the region have also heightened alarm.

In November 2025, 11-year-old Haitian student Stéphora Anne-Mircie Joseph died during a school outing in Gurabo, Santiago, in the Dominican Republic. Dominican authorities required bond payments of about $8,000  for school officials detained in connection with alleged negligence. However, no further details have been released about the investigation.

Earlier this month, GARR also reported the discovery of four Haitian women’s bodies in the Dominican Republic. The organization said the women were believed to be victims of trafficking networks that exploit migrants seeking to cross borders.

“These women are believed to be victims of trafficking networks that exploit their vulnerabilities, promising to help them cross the border in exchange for money,” GARR said in a Feb. 3  statement.

Advocates warn that Haitian migrant children are particularly vulnerable to abuse, trafficking and neglect during migration journeys, especially when traveling through informal or overcrowded facilities.

For GARR, the deaths in Oaxaca highlight the urgent need for stronger safeguards, clearer accountability and coordinated protection mechanisms for migrant families.

“Justice must be served,” the organization said, “so that such tragedies do not happen again.”

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