Rights advocates are urging countries in the Americas, including the United States and the Dominican Republic, to stop deporting migrants and asylum seekers to Haiti due to surging gang violence and political instability. The Haitian Bridge Alliance, a US-based advocacy group, is calling for a complete halt on deportations to Haiti and for displaced Haitians to have access to pathways for protection. More than 360,000 Haitians have been forcibly displaced due to widespread violence in the country, with neighboring countries forcibly sending 13,000 migrants back to Haiti in March, a 46-percent increase compared to the previous month.
The UN and humanitarian groups are urging countries to ensure the protection of Haitians who are in danger due to escalating gang violence and human rights violations. Amnesty International and other rights groups specifically called on the Dominican Republic to end its discriminatory deportation policies that target Haitians, Dominicans of Haitian descent, and Black people. The Dominican Republic has deported thousands of Haitians in recent years, violating international obligations and putting lives at risk. Forced returns to Haiti must be stopped to protect vulnerable individuals.
Advocacy groups are also pushing for the extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian citizens in the US. TPS is granted to nationals of countries facing temporary unsafe conditions, enabling them to stay in the US without fear of deportation and work legally in the country. The current TPS designation for Haiti is set to expire in early August, but US Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas indicated that there are no plans to redesignate Haiti for TPS. The advocacy groups are calling on the Biden administration to extend and redesignate TPS for Haiti amidst worsening national violence.
The US Coast Guard has been repatriating Haitian asylum seekers intercepted at sea, with 65 migrants sent back to Haiti in March and a total of 131 repatriated since October 31, 2023. The Coast Guard aims to repatriate anyone attempting irregular migration via sea routes, regardless of nationality, to enforce the law. Mayorkas reiterated this stance, emphasizing that individuals from Haiti intercepted at sea will be returned to Haiti quickly. Despite calls from rights groups to halt all removal flights and maritime removals to Haiti, the Biden administration is reportedly not planning to change its policy of returning Haitian citizens intercepted at sea to avoid triggering mass migration.
Immigration has been a contentious political issue in the US, with the upcoming presidential election in November expected to bring it into the spotlight. The Biden administration’s stance on returning Haitian citizens intercepted at sea is influenced by the desire to avoid mass migration. However, rights groups argue that these removals to an already overburdened Haiti undermine the administration’s promises to create a fairer and more inclusive immigration system. The destabilization of Haiti is a concern, and advocates are urging the administration to reconsider its policies regarding deportations and asylum seekers from Haiti.
