Haitian deportees from the Dominican Republic speak about their harsh removal from the country.
The Dominican Republic, under President Luis Abinader’s order, is deporting Haitian immigrants at an alarming rate. Haitians are speaking out about the allgedly degrading way they are being treated due to the hard-line stance on deportation.
The AP reported on conditions at the small border town of Belladère, between the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The island of Hispaniola is shared by both countries and serves as the route for returning Haitians to their homeland.
While it is within the country’s rights to deport illegal and undocumented immigrants, the alleged harsh methods are being questioned by observers and the deportees themselves.
“They broke down my door at 4 in the morning,” he said.
Jimmy Milien, a father of two, said he received harsh words when being corralled toward the border. According to Milien, he was referred to as a “devil Haitian.”
Milien had planned to travel further into Haiti to seek opportunities, but says the journey is far too dangerous. He would need to travel through gang territories where food and opportunities are scarce. “There are only criminals,” he said.
Rafaela Tejada, a 67-year-old resident of the Dominican Republic, told the AP that the large influx of immigrants will strain the country’s resources, leading to its demise.
“For me, that’s the number one issue the president must focus on. Otherwise, we will soon be left without a country,” she said.
According to NBC News, the country’s government agrees:
Haitians are facing a harrowing future, having given up many of the possessions and connections that tie them to their homeland. The immigrants have built lives and careers in the Dominican Republic but are unable to obtain legal citizenship as they were not born in the country.
RELATED CONTENT: Haiti’s Transitional Council President Says Trump’s Immigration Policy Will Devastate The Country
Source: Black Enterprise
