Dominican Republic Strengthens Border Security Amid Haitian Crisis

The Dominican Republic has announced a series of enhanced security measures along its border with Haiti, including increased troop deployment and accelerated construction of a border wall, in response to the escalating instability in its neighboring country, Al Jazeera reports.

President Luis Abinader, who was re-elected last year on a platform that prioritized stricter immigration controls, announced the measures on Sunday, emphasizing the need to secure the border despite calls for his country to ease its stringent policies as Haitians seek refuge from widespread violence.

He also announced the approval for the construction of a new 8 miles section of the wall that separates the two countries, which share the island of Hispaniola. This addition will supplement the existing 33 miles of the border wall already completed along the more than 186 miles border.

In addition to physical barriers, Abinader indicated that legal reforms are planned to impose harsher penalties on individuals involved in facilitating illegal immigration into the Dominican Republic.

The enhanced border security measures coincide with a worsening crisis in Haiti, where escalating violence has led to an alliance of gangs controlling most of the capital city, Port-au-Prince. Despite the presence of a Kenyan peacekeeping force, the Haitian transitional government has struggled to contain the violence, which has seen a resurgence in recent months.

The United Nations estimates that more than 5,600 people were killed in Haiti in 2024, with over one million displaced, many attempting to cross into the Dominican Republic.

The Dominican Republic has implemented strict deportation policies, repatriating as many as 10,000 Haitians per week. These policies have drawn criticism from human rights advocates who cite the perilous conditions awaiting returnees in Haiti and call for a halt to deportations, particularly from the United States and the Dominican Republic.

Abinader, who campaigned heavily on issues related to Haiti during his May 2024 re-election, has consistently advocated for stronger border and immigration controls while urging international assistance to address the crisis in Haiti.