Excerpt
Dominican Republic to deport 10,000 undocumented Haitians a week
The Dominican Republic unveiled a plan Wednesday to start expelling 10,000 undocumented Haitians a week as part of a crackdown on migration from its troubled neighbor.
"This operation aims to reduce the excessive migrant populations detected in Dominican communities," presidential spokesman Homero Figueroa said, adding the expulsions would start "immediately" and be done "according to strict protocols that ensure respect for human rights."
The government said it took the decision in light of the international community's "slowness" in restoring stability in Haiti, large parts of which have been overrun by criminal gangs.
After many months of delay, a UN-approved force led by Kenya has been sent to Haiti to try to restore order.
"We warned at the United Nations that either it and all the countries that had committed themselves (to helping Haiti) act responsibly in Haiti, or we will," President Luis Abinader said.
Since coming to power in 2020, Abinader has taken a tough line on migration from destitute and violence-plagued Haiti.
He built a 164-kilometer (102-mile) concrete wall between the two countries and promised to extend it when he was handily re-elected in May for a second term.
His government has also dramatically ratcheted up deportations, expelling 250,000 undocumented Haitians in 2023 alone.
The plan announced Wednesday would more than double that number in a year -- more than the 495,815 Haitians living in Dominican Republic, according to official statistics.
Figueroa said the government had drawn up a plan to identify and dismantle networks engaged in human trafficking from Haiti.
The government has also said it would step up drone and camera surveillance of the border.
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