Immigration officials in the Dominican Republic deported more than 226,500 Haitian nationals living in the country without legal status between January and the end of July 2026, averaging about 1,000 deportations per day, according to the country’s director general of migration.
According to officials, intelligence operations have identified Haitian-Dominican trafficking networks involved in smuggling migrants into the country.
The migration chief said authorities have identified routes, travel patterns and departure points used by the networks, and about 15 people have been arrested and are under investigation for allegedly serving as leaders or guides for the smuggling operations.
Investigators have also mapped routes used by migrants traveling on foot through various communities before reaching Santiago and other destinations within the Dominican Republic.
International humanitarian groups and local activists continue to document severe challenges stemming from the scale of the sweep. Human rights organizations have flagged repetitive instances of arbitrary detentions, systemic family separations, and a lack of individualized legal reviews during processing.
Activists accuse the administration of implementing a racially discriminatory immigration system targeting people of Haitian descent. In response, President Luis Abinader has repeatedly denied any institutional mistreatment, maintaining that operations adhere strictly to national security laws.
The Dominican government is deploying substantial capital and modern technology to permanently fortify its 240-mile border with Haiti:
* Budget & Equipment Expansion: The DGM is integrating an operational budget increase of RD$2,000 million to purchase high-mobility enforcement vehicles, hire new agents, and implement facial recognition and AI tracking tools.
* Border Wall Progress: Construction is ongoing for the multi-phase, 13-foot-high border fence originally launched in Dajabón to stem illicit crossings and disable human trafficking networks.
* Processing Facility Upgrades: To keep pace with the 1,000-per-day volume, the government is updating processing centers in Higüey, Haina, Santiago, and Elías Piña, while planning expansion facilities further south in Jimaní and Pedernales
The ongoing political and security instability inside Haiti continues to drive high migration pressures across the island.
