SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (CMC)— The Dominican Republic military said nearly 2,000 Haitians have been detained for illegally entering the country following operations conducted in several communities last weekend.

According to a statement issued by the army, 1,936 Haitians were intercepted by motorised patrols while travelling on foot through various border communities.

The statement by the army said that during these operations, nine nationals from the Dominican Republic were arrested for transporting Haitian nationals on vehicles ranging from a motorcycle to a minibus.

Earlier this month, the Directorate General of Migration (DGM) said it had returned more than a quarter million Haitians to their country last year, insisting that their removals from the Dominican Republic were carried out in compliance with human rights and international agreements.

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.