SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, (CMC) – Dominican Republic’s Directorate General of Migration (DGM) says it returned more than a quarter million Haitians to their country last year, insisting that their removals were carried out in compliance with human rights and international agreements which the country is a signatory.

According to the DGM, a total of 276,215 Haitians were either deported or repatriated after they were found to be in an irregular migratory situation in the Dominican Republic.

It said during the first three months of the year, 48,344 Haitians were removed from the Spanish-speaking country, followed by 62,446 Haitians in the second quarter, while 71,414 were removed during July to September and 94,223 in the months October to December.

The spokesman for the Presidency, Homero Figueroa, who read the government’s statement following the meeting of the National Security and Defense Council, said then that it was intended to “address the situation of illegal migration from Haiti.

“Despite international support and the presence of the Kenya-led Multinational Mission to Support the Haitian National Police, results have so far been limited and the process is moving slowly. Faced with this reality, we are obliged to act decisively and responsibly to ensure the security and stability of our country,” he added.

But Haitian officials note that the figures show that since October 3, when the National Security and Defense Council, chaired by President Luis Abinader, the Dominican Republic government has ordered the immediate execution of an operation aimed at repatriating to Haiti each week up to 10,000 Haitians.

But despite the testimonies, complaints, and criticisms of human rights organisations on the violations of the rights suffered by deported Haitians, the DGM maintains that the return of the illegal migrants was being carried out in compliance with human rights and international agreements to which the country is a signatory.

It said it is also in accordance with the policy and directives of President Abinader and that in the last quarter of 2024, a comprehensive review of the DGM’s organisation and procedures had been carried out with a view to a reorganisation of its operations.