Dominican Republic: Stop racist policies against migrants

In just six months, over 180,000 people have been deported from the Dominican Republic to Haiti. These mass deportations are happening without proper, individual assessments—even though Haiti is facing a severe security and humanitarian crisis.

On April 6, the government announced 15 new measures that make life even harder for migrants. These include blocking access to essential services like health care.

We’re calling on the Dominican authorities to immediately stop collective deportations and end policies that target and discriminate against Black migrants.

Here’s what you can do:

Write to the President of the Dominican Republic urging him to:

• End racist migration policies that target Haitian and other migrants, including racial profiling and collective deportations. 
• Remove barriers that block migrants from accessing essential services like health care.

Mass deportations amid crisis in Haiti

On October 2, 2024, President Luis Abinader announced a plan to deport up to 10,000 migrants per week, primarily targeting people of Haitian origin. By April 2025, over 180,000 people had already been deported, according to the General Directorate of Migration. These mass deportations are happening despite the deepening humanitarian and security crisis in Haiti—putting returnees at serious risk and violating the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning people to danger.

New policies threaten basic rights

On April 6, 2025, the Dominican government introduced 15 new migration measures. One alarming policy requires hospital staff to report the immigration status of patients and notify authorities if a person is undocumented. These individuals face immediate deportation after receiving care. This puts people’s right to health, privacy, and physical safety at risk—and discourages vulnerable groups, such as pregnant women, children, and survivors of violence, from seeking essential medical treatment.

Rising discrimination and shrinking civil space

The government has failed to prevent racial profiling and has dismissed credible evidence of rights violations raised by civil society and international bodies. Officials continue to use harmful and racist narratives against Haitian migrants, pregnant women, and children, fueling stigma and hostility. 

Meanwhile, human rights defenders and organizations supporting migrants face growing threats and stigmatization. Despite repeated calls, authorities have not taken steps to protect them, further silencing those working to expose abuses and defend basic rights.

Please take action as soon as possible until July 10, 2025. The UA will be duly updated should there be the need for further action.