Santo Domingo, (EFE).- The Dominican Republic will begin implementing a migration verification protocol on Monday across 33 public hospitals as part of President Luis Abinader’s efforts to tighten immigration control, particularly targeting Haitians.
The move comes amid escalating tensions over immigration from Haiti, which is facing a severe humanitarian and security crisis.
According to the General Directorate of Migration (DGM), agents will whether patients have valid identification, proof of employment, and residence in the country.
Those who fail to meet requirements will receive medical treatment but face deportation afterward.
DGM Director Vice iral Luis Rafael Lee Ballester stressed that the policy will follow due process and respect human rights, particularly for vulnerable groups such as minors, pregnant women, and critically ill patients.
The National Health Service (SNS) has trained hospital staff on technical criteria and procedures ahead of the rollout.
This initiative follows Abinader’s Oct. 2023 order for mass deportations of undocumented migrants, with about 10,000 people expelled weekly, most of them Haitian.
Official figures show over 180,000 Haitians have been deported since then, despite international organizations urging the Dominican government to halt deportations to a country where violence claimed over 5,600 lives in 2024.
Tension rises in hospitals amid migration surge
The growing demand for medical services in areas like Verón Punta Cana has fueled tensions between Dominican and Haitian communities.
Dominicans have accused Haitians of receiving preferential treatment at local hospitals, complaining that undocumented migrants do not contribute taxes yet consume public services.
Samuel Cueto, director of Verón Punta Cana Hospital, clarified that patients are seen on a first-come, first-served basis, regardless of nationality.
He emphasized that the Dominican government guarantees healthcare for everyone within its borders.
However, Cueto acknowledged that hospital staff often face conflicts fueled by misconceptions and a lack of discipline among patients regarding appointment systems.
The controversy highlights deeper strains in areas where Haitian migrants, critical to the Dominican economy as laborers in agriculture and construction, have become a visible presence.
Historically, Haitian and Dominican workers toiled together in the country’s sugarcane fields, contributing significantly to the Dominican Republic’s economic growth in the 20th century.
Fear and discrimination among pregnant migrants
Migrant women, particularly those pregnant, face heightened fears of deportation and mistreatment in public hospitals.
Interviews with Haitian mothers reveal frequent cases of discrimination and neglect, especially in rural areas in the east and south of the country.
One Haitian woman, Francise (name changed for protection), described being mistreated during childbirth and threatened with deportation while in labor.
Fearing further abuse and detention, many migrant women avoid medical checkups entirely, putting their health and that of their babies at risk.
The Dominican Republic continues to have one of the highest maternal mortality rates in Latin America and the Caribbean. Government figures reported 165 maternal deaths in 2024, a slight improvement from the previous year. EFE
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