Cnn
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The Dominican Republic expelled dozens of pregnant women, mothers who had just given birth and children, returning to Haiti of crisis as it rages against illegal immigration.
In a statement, the Dominican authorities said that the 135 women and children were taken to a detention center for undocumented migrants on Monday before being sent back to neighboring Haiti.
Radical deportations arise as one of the controversial immigration measures of the Dominican president Luis Abinader, obliging staff in the hospitals of the National Health Service (SNS) to request the identification of patients, a letter of employment and proof of residence, immigration agents of hospitals to verify.
Monday, 33 public hospitals prepared for the new policy. SNS director Mario Lama said these hospitals were where up to 80% of public hospitals involving foreign mothers.
Dominican authorities say women and children have been detained due to the new protocol. They said in a press release that the deportees had been processed with humanity and dignity, returned to comfortable and safe buses only after leaving the hospital and experienced a medical examination to ensure that they were “without health risks”.
Rights and health groups criticized this decision.
The Dominican medical association said that on Instagram, such rigid expulsion rules for people with medical needs could endanger their lives.
The Dominican government has stressed that no one would refuse medical care as part of the new protocol – but rights defense groups say that patients needing care could avoid hospitals for fear of expulsion.
“These people face immediate expulsion after receiving care.
Over the past six months, the Dominican authorities have expelled more than 180,000 people in Haiti, a country plagued by gang violence that has infiltrated all aspects of life.
The Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with its neighbor, saw an influx of migrants fleeing violence in Haiti – where essential supplies do not meet the needs of the population and hundreds of schools have closed.
Dozens of health establishments have closed in Haiti due to insecurity, one of the last people being the Mirebalais university hospital. At the end of last month, the gangs stormed the city, turning on the buildings and putting a risk for the hospital, forcing it to evacuate its staff and patients, according to Health partners, the group supporting the hospital.
The envoy of Haiti of the United Nations, María Isabel Salvador, warned this week that Haiti “approaches the point of no return”. She added: “Without appropriate and decisive international support, violence will continue to degenerate and Haiti could face the total collapse.”
