SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (CMC)–President of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, has announced a series of measures aimed at bolstering border security and tightening migration control as its neighbour, Haiti, continues to face political and security concerns.

The 15 new measures will include accelerating the construction of the border wall that separates the two countries and adding 1,500 additional soldiers for border surveillance.

“We will step up surveillance of the borders with 1,500 additional troops, on top of 9,500 already deployed,” Abinader told a news conference on Sunday. He said he has since approved the construction of a new section of a wall that separates the two countries, which share the second-largest island in the Caribbean.

The border between the two countries stretches for more than 186 miles, and so far, 33 miles of the border wall have been completed.

Abinader said that his latest order would “speed up construction of the border wall” to add a further eight miles and that legal reforms are also on the agenda with the goal of using tougher penalties to deter those who facilitate the entry and stay of immigrants into the country.

Abinader has emphasised the need for tougher border and immigration controls while also calling for international assistance for the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries.

Figures released by the directorate general of migration (DGM) for the period from October 2024 to March 2025, show that the Dominican Republic repatriated to Haiti more than 180,000 Haitians.

Last year, 276,215 Haitians were repatriated.

According to United Nations data, more than 4,200 people have been killed in Haiti between July 2024 and February 2025, while another 6,000 have been forced to flee their homes..

The United Nations Security Council in 2023 passed a resolution for the Kenya-led MSS mission, aimed at combating gang violence and restoring stability in the country. Criminal gangs are seeking to take complete control of the capital, Port au Prince, and have launched several attacks, killing women and children among others.