SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (CMC) — Two local human rights organisations have accused security officials of violating the rights of Haitian nationals during an ongoing deportation process.

The groups – the Human Rights Observatory for Vulnerable Groups (ODHGV)and We are Haitian Students in the Dominican Republic (SEHRD), singled out the joint workforce in charge of the operations during a news conference.

According to ODHGV legal adviser Juan Alberto Francisco, security forces arrest Haitians and violently pack them into “mobile prisons,” where they wait for hours before they are driven to detention centers.

“Many Haitians are arrested despite the fact that they have legal documentation, sometimes even Dominican residency rights, but they are still arrested under the allegations that the papers may be fake,” Francisco said.

Francisco also told reporters that SEHRD President Avenel Archelus was violently assaulted, injured and arrested while he was trying to find his passport.

The groups also condemned what they said is the failure of the government  to renew the documentation of Haitians who applied for the National Plan of Legalization for the period 2014-2015.

Thousands of  Haitians face being deported as the deadline for them to legalise their immigration status expired on July 17.

Tens of thousands of Haitians, and others, who have been living undocumented in the country, are registered under the National Plan to Regularize Foreigners (PNRE).

The PNRE is a special provision to grant identity documents and residence permits to foreign nationals who have not been living legally in the country.