The number of births by Haitian mothers in Dominican public hospitals has significantly decreased, falling to 17% of total deliveries since the implementation of new immigration controls on 21 April 2025, Diario Libre reports. This marks a sharp decline from previous figures, when Haitian women giving birth at public hospitals fluctuated from 32 to 38% of total births.
The collaborative protocol, initiated by the National Health Service (SNS) and the Migration Agency, has had a noticeable impact on hospital delivery statistics. Data from the Health Services Information and Statistics Repository (Riess) reveals a steady decline in Haitian birthing mothers. The protocol accepts to continue the free birthing service, but once this is performed, the mother and child are deported to Haiti. The change in procedures also called for attending non-emergencies only of those with legal status in the country.
In June 2025, public hospitals recorded a total of 5,072 births. Of these, 4,170 (82.2%) were to Dominican mothers, while 885 (17.4%) were to Haitian mothers. These figures closely mirror those from May, where out of 4,785 births, 81.9% (3,920) were Dominican and 17.7% (849) were Haitian.
Diario Libre reports that the impact of the immigration control measures becomes even clearer when comparing the latest statistics to April 2025, the month the protocol was introduced. During the first three weeks of April, prior to the full implementation of controls, the number of Haitian births was significantly higher, nearly double current levels.
In April, there were 5,999 recorded births, with 4,063 (67.7%) to Dominican mothers and a substantial 1,927 (32.1%) to Haitian mothers.
Looking at the broader trend for 2025, January recorded the highest number of births this year, with 7,904 procedures. In that month, 4,869 (61.6%) were to Dominican mothers, while 3,023 (38.4%) were to foreign mothers, predominantly Haitian.
The consistent reduction in the percentage of births to Haitian mothers since April underscores the direct effect of the new immigration controls within the public health network.
The number of Haitian births in the Dominican Republic had been consistently on the rise with the collapse of health services in Haiti and the free health services that had been available in the Dominican Republic upon demand.
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Diario Libre
21 July 2025