Outrage grows in northeastern Haiti over the deportation of unaccompanied Haitian children in the Dominican Republic

FORT-LIBERTÉ – The intensified deportation of Haitian children in the Dominican Republic, often without their parents, has sparked widespread outrage among human rights groups advocating for child protection in Haiti’s Northeastern Department. These forced deportations have serious consequences, leaving children vulnerable to exploitation, violence and family separation.

“These deportations cause us great concern,” said Nerline Mompremier, coordinator of the Association of Women of Ouanaminthe.

“Children aged 0 to 17 are being deported to the Haitian border without their parents, putting them at significant risk. The Dominican government must immediately stop these inhumane practices. The rights of children must be respected,” Mompremier added

According to Rémy Occéan, coordinator of the Institute for Social Welfare and Research (IBESR) of the Haitian government)The organization welcomed 59 unaccompanied children, including 37 boys and 22 girls, who were deported from the Dominican Republic to Haiti’s northeastern border in September alone. Occéan denounced the inhumane conditions in which these children were returned, without paperwork, often barefoot, with torn clothes and in a state of extreme hunger.

Recent data published by the International Organization for Migration (OIM) shows that of the 36,675 undocumented children deported to Haiti between November 2022 and September 2024, more than 78% were forced deportations from the Dominican Republic.

During the same period, forced deportations of people – including all age groups – from Haiti’s nearest neighbor accounted for 86.29% of the total of 398,982 expelled. The United States comes in second with a much lower number of 8.17% of total deportations.

Occéan emphasized that these deportations violate international treaties and conventions in the field of children’s rights. The International Convention on the Rights of the Childthat both Haiti and the Dominican Republic have signed, explicitly prohibits the separation of children from their parents against their will. However, deportations from the DR routinely ignore this agreement, sometimes even robbing babies of their mothers.

Vulnerability of deported children and context

These Haitian children, who already face systemic poverty and discrimination in the neighboring country, are now at increased risk as a result of these forced deportations. Stripped of their social and family support networks, many fall prey to human trafficking, sexual exploitation and other forms of abuse.

Occéan further revealed disturbing reports of Dominican border control agents abusing Haitian girls before deporting them, and called for immediate action from Haitian authorities.

“Our fellow countrymen are suffering on the other side of the border. We urge the authorities to investigate these violations and protect our people, especially our children,” said the IBESR Coordinator for the Northeast Department.

Tensions between the two countries have increased in recent years. In 2013, a Dominican court ruling stripped thousands of Dominican-born persons of Haitian descent of citizenship, leaving many stateless. Since then, deportations, including of minors, have increased, often in violation of international law.

Furious, Jocelyn Bertil, Executive Director of Research and Actions for Collective Welfare (GRABEC, the French acronym)criticized the treatment of Haitian children by Dominican immigration and accused the government of racial discrimination.

“Most of them are children born in the Dominican Republic who are deported simply because of the color of their skin. It’s a shame,” said Bertil

Lack of coordination and support amid calls for international action

Children deported to Haiti often receive minimal support. Some are placed in temporary shelters, such as the Kay Ti MounCreole for Children’s Home, in Ouanaminthe, managed by IBESR in collaboration with local women’s associations. However, the resources available to care for these children are inadequate.

Overwhelmed, organizations in the region have called on the Haitian government to prioritize child welfare in the national budget to ensure deported minors receive the necessary care and protection.

Stressing the urgency of the situation, Occéan said: “It is time for the Haitian government to prioritize children. Adequate funding for social security is essential to tackle this crisis.”

Human rights groups and child protection advocates are now calling for urgent international intervention to halt the “terrible deportations” of Haitian children and ensure compliance with international child protection standards. Mom Prime Minister urged Dominican border control agents to respect the dignity of these children.

“The growing outrage over deportation practices in the Dominican Republic underlines the need for greater enforcement of human rights treaties and a reevaluation of the treatment of Haitian migrants, especially minors. This applies not only in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but also in other countries in North and South America and beyond,” concludes Mompremier.

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