Between 20 and 25% of the repatriations of Haitian citizens by the immigration authorities of the Dominican RepublicThey are made through unofficial border points, the NGO Support Group for Returnees and Refugees (GARR) said this Saturday.
According to a report prepared by the organization, 7,559 Haitians residing in the Dominican Republic were repatriated to Haiti during the month of July through official border points, and at least another 1,763 were subject to repatriation through unofficial border points.
This form of forced return due to unofficial access, which seems to be normalized, "complicates accompaniment and handling" of these immigrants, who find assistance in the GARR in terms of psychosocial support, food, accommodation and transportation costs, Carl Henry Petit Frère, general coordinator of the entity, told Efe.
Many of these returnees have lived in the Dominican Republic for years and arrive in their country with only what they are wearing and have no way of contacting relatives in Haiti, if they have any.
The GARR report, which includes the migratory activities of repatriation, return and spontaneous return of Haitians, is based on data collected by personnel that the organization has at the border points of Anse-à-Pitre, Belladère, Malpasse and Ouanaminthe and in nine of the busiest unofficial border points.
protocol violations
Forced returns through unofficial border points "have been going on for many years"said the leader of the NGO, who pointed out that "it would be better to make the returns in the official areas"which allow an organized process "although respect for dignity is not always taken into account"denounced.
In fact, the GARR states in the report that it is a witness to "serious and recurrent violations of the protocol of agreement on repatriation" of migrants from the Dominican Republic.
"In the month of July, many of the returnees complain of having been robbed, verbally and physically assaulted by migration agents" Dominicans, according to the text, where it is noted that among the returnees in this period, the GARR counted 52 pregnant women and 56 unaccompanied minors.
Regarding repatriations from other countries such as the United States, Cuba and Turkey, in the month of July it was rregistered 567 cases, 350 men, 129 women, 49 boys and 39 girls, point to the document.
Global return figures
As a whole, and taking into account the global data on repatriation, return and spontaneous return during July 2022, the GARR estimates that 8,232 nationals have entered Haiti through official and unofficial border points, without counting the persons than returned by sea.
"This is a slight decline" Regarding the month of June, a period in which the organization counted some 21,000 migrants who returned to the country, said Petit-Frère, who expects a rebound during this August.
The head of the entity recalled that during June at least 22 Haitian migrants died in various shipwrecks, most of them women and, if the 11 deaths last May in Puerto Rico are added to this figure, "the loss of human lives is estimated at thirty between May and July"he underlined.
The NGO, which promotes and defends the rights of migrants, says it has agents at all four official border points and at no less than nine of the busiest unofficial border points.
