Dominican Republic says expelling 30,000 Haitians per month

Santo Domingo: The Dominican Republic said Tuesday it has deported 30,000 Haitians on average every month since last October, when the government toug...

Santo Domingo: The Dominican Republic said Tuesday it has deported 30,000 Haitians on average every month since last October, when the government toughened its stance against migrants from its poor, violence-torn neighbor.

Dominican President Luis Abinader has championed a hard line on migration since coming to power in 2020, with mass expulsions of Haitians and the construction of a wall that so far stretches across more than half the border the countries share on the island of Hispaniola.

Raids and expulsions have skyrocketed even as the government has halted the issuing of visas and reinforced the military presence at the frontier.

On Tuesday, the General Directorate of Migration (DGM) said it had expelled 31,462 people to Haiti in July, and has maintained "an average of over 30,000 monthly deportations" -- some 300,000 in total -- from October to July.

In April, the Caribbean country launched a series of raids on public health facilities, arresting pregnant women, new mothers and children in a crackdown denounced by the UN.