In an open letter addressed to the president of the Dominican Republic and other state institutions, Amnesty International, together with local human rights organizations, has called for an end to human rights violations against Haitians, Dominicans of Haitian descent and Black people in the enforcement of de facto racist migration policies, which are being implemented on the basis of racial discrimination and have a discriminatory impact resulting in the racialized exclusion of Haitians and Dominicans.
“The Dominican government itself has informed of the deportation of more than 250,000 Haitians in 2023, including people in need of international protection. These collective expulsions are a clear violation of the Dominican Republic’s international obligations and put the lives and rights of these people at risk. Forced returns to Haiti must end,” said Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International.
“The government’s drastic decision of suspending all legal channels available to Haitian nationals for working, studying or residing in the country has had significant consequences on family separations, and has left many people in a situation of migratory uncertainty.”
In the letter, Amnesty International and other signatory organizations have stressed that the exclusion of Black people of Haitian and Dominican descent is the result of a set of discriminatory migration policies, in particular the collective detention and expulsion of Haitian nationals, including children and pregnant and postpartum women. These organizations call on the authorities to urgently ensure that Haitians have access to asylum procedures, without discrimination, and restore legal channels of entry and stay for workers, students, family members, asylum seekers and migrants seeking legal residence in the country.
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