In San Juan, Puerto Rico, concerns are mounting among the United Nations and human rights activists regarding the deportation of pregnant women from the Dominican Republic to Haiti, a move that is feared to put their lives in jeopardy. Increasing instances of gang-related violence have led to operational limitations within Haiti’s healthcare system, with less than 40% of the health facilities in Port-au-Prince still operational.
In a recent development, the University Hospital of Mirebalais has ceased its activities. This central Haitian facility, encompassing approximately 300 beds, has been forced to suspend its services, as noted in a U.N. report released on Thursday. The situation is compounding, with two other hospitals in the same vicinity battling severe shortages of critical supplies like oxygen and emergency medical kits. These institutions have managed over 200 cases involving gunshot injuries, strokes, malnutrition, and potentially cholera infections since Mirebalais halted its services.
According to U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, those being deported often find themselves in precarious, vulnerable states with little to no resources at their disposal. The International Organization for Migration has reported an uptick in deportations, encompassing not just pregnant women but also children and newborns being sent back to a nation struggling with limited access to essential services.
This wave of deportations is occurring alongside newly implemented policies by Dominican President Luis Abinader’s administration. A recent mandate now requires hospital personnel to verify patient identity, work permits, and residency proofs, as part of efforts to control the number of undocumented migrants within the country. This is particularly pertinent as many in Haiti seek to escape a rise in gang aggression.
Recent events highlight 48 pregnant women and 39 new mothers being arrested, along with 48 minors, by the Dominican Republic’s migration agency. Subsequent arrests were made involving 78 additional migrants in hospitals, with the agency withholding further details. In response, Amnesty International has demanded that these measures be revoked, urging the government to actively counter racial discrimination.
Despite sharing the island of Hispaniola, tensions persist between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. President Abinader, during a border visit, stressed the imperative of curbing illegal entries into his country, dismissing opposing viewpoints from Amnesty International while urging the organsation to address Haiti’s domestic challenges. “My responsibility is to defend the Dominican Republic,” he stated emphatically. Since October, following the announcement of mass deportations, over 180,000 individuals have been expelled from the country.
Meanwhile, Haiti’s transitional presidential council decried these actions as human rights infringements against Haitians in the Dominican Republic, urging for an emphasis on bilateral talks to address the issues at hand.