The Migration Agency (DGM) announced 15,500 individuals were deported in the first 15 days of November 2024 as part of ongoing efforts to reduce the number of undocumented migrants in the country. The nationalities of the migrants are not revealed in the DGM press release, but the majority would have been deportations to Haiti.
President Abinader had set a ceiling of 10,000 deportations per week as concerns over mass entry of Haitian migrants, seeking free social services and jobs not available in Haiti, made headlines and was all over social media.
The agency also reports making significant strides in dismantling human trafficking networks. Among these is the case of a Dominican network that smuggled people here and then assaulted them for their belongings, but mostly of smugglers caught entering Haitian migrants.
The DGM says that since launching a mass repatriation plan on 1 October 2024, a total of 55,723 individuals have been deported through joint operations involving migration inspectors, the Armed Forces, and the National Police.
Additionally, authorities have apprehended numerous individuals involved in human smuggling and have referred over 30 cases to the public prosecutor’s office, resulting in judicial orders.
Diario Libre reports on the improved border gate management, describing this as going from chaos to order now under the new authorities of the Migration Agency, Ministry of Defense, Army Commander and Ministry of Interior and Police.
In April 2024, Diario Libre reported chaotic scenes at the border gate. The newspaper said that Haitian officials used whips to control unruly crowds as they attempted to cross into the Dominican Republic. The news outlet described the situation as follows: “Amidst shouts and pushing just a few meters from the border, a Haitian soldier whips out a whip and begins to disperse the crowd. One lash, two, three. The Haitians form two neat lines and the soldier returns to his position. Men are placed on the left and women on the right.”
However, as of November 2024, the newspaper says the situation has dramatically improved. The border gate is now much more organized. Upon entering the Dominican side, individuals are immediately directed to the right where they are separated from the main avenue and subject to biometric screening. Those returning to Haiti use a separate lane on the opposite side. The central lane is reserved for vehicles and carts, all of which are inspected by the Specialized Corps for Border Land Security (Cesfront).
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Migration Agency
Listin Diario
Hoy
Diario Libre
20 November 2024