Trucks resembling livestock carriers fill the Elías Piña border crossing between the Dominican Republic and Haiti every day. But rather than cattle, the trucks are transporting Haitians, including pregnant women, unaccompanied children, and individuals with no ties to the country. Since October, more than 71,000 Haitians have been deported from the neighboring country under a strict immigration policy that seeks to expel up to 10,000 people every week.
For Haitians fleeing gang violence, economic instability, and political collapse, the Dominican Republic had been a fragile refuge given the country's historical hostility. But deportees now also recount harrowing raids and alleged abuses, as reported by the New York Times.
