PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — The United Nations is sounding the alarm over the recent expulsion of hundreds of pregnant and breastfeeding Haitian women from the Dominican Republic, denouncing the action as a violation of international human rights norms amid an ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Haiti.
In a statement issued Tuesday, the UN humanitarian team in Haiti expressed “deep concern over the rising number of pregnant and breastfeeding women being deported from the Dominican Republic to Haiti, in violation of international standards.” The UN said the deportations are taking place despite Haiti’s severe instability, escalating gang violence, and mass internal displacement.
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Since April 22, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in coordination with Haitian authorities and humanitarian agencies, has been assisting an average of 15 pregnant women and 15 breastfeeding mothers per day at two key border crossings. This reflects a significant spike in removals, coinciding with a broader increase in deportations across the island.
“Nearly 20,000 individuals — including a growing number of highly vulnerable women — were deported by land in April 2025, marking a record number for a one-month period,” the IOM reported. The situation, it said, raises urgent questions about the treatment of migrants and the responsibilities of states under international law.
Ulrika Richardson, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Haiti, emphasized the need for adherence to international protections: “It is imperative that commitments to protecting vulnerable populations are upheld.”
The deportations come as part of a broader crackdown on Haitian migration by Dominican authorities, a key campaign promise of President Luis Abinader, who was reelected in May 2024. Abinader has repeatedly pledged to “secure the border” and reduce the influx of Haitian nationals into the Dominican Republic — policies that have drawn criticism from rights groups and international observers.
The two countries share the island of Hispaniola, the second-largest in the Caribbean after Cuba, and have long had a complex and often tense relationship shaped by colonial history, racial divisions, and economic disparity.
Haiti is currently facing one of the most severe humanitarian crises in the Western Hemisphere. The capital, Port-au-Prince, is gripped by escalating gang warfare, political paralysis, and economic collapse. In April, the UN’s Special Representative to Haiti, Maria Isabel Salvador, warned that the country was nearing a “point of no return”, and urgently required robust international support to prevent further deterioration.
More than one million Haitians have been displaced internally by violence, according to UN estimates, and access to basic services — including healthcare, food, and shelter — has sharply declined.
The forced returns of vulnerable women have intensified fears that the Dominican Republic is neglecting its legal and humanitarian responsibilities under international conventions, particularly the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning individuals to situations where their life or freedom may be at risk.
While the Dominican government has defended its immigration policies as necessary for national security, critics argue the measures disproportionately target Haitian women and children and disregard the life-threatening realities awaiting them in Haiti.
As the humanitarian crisis deepens, calls are growing for a coordinated regional and international response to protect displaced Haitians and address the root causes of migration. For now, the UN has urged the Dominican Republic to immediately halt deportations of vulnerable populations and recommit to its obligations under international law.
