Haitians denounce agents' alleged extortion to avoid detention

Two Haitian citizens have accused individuals identifying as members of the General Directorate of Migration (DGM) of demanding money to secure their freedom during recent interventions in the Greater Santo Domingo area. These allegations describe a supposed scheme where foreigners were compelled to pay sums to evade transfer to migration detention centers.

One complainant, a security guard residing in Santo Domingo Oeste, recounted an incident on July 26 where at least three migration agents, one armed, allegedly broke down his door. He claims the officers beat him and stole $700 from his room, using it as a pretext to avoid detaining him. The man, who has lived in the Dominican Republic for nine years, stated, "They entered my house and took the money that was under my bed."

While acknowledging the government's right to implement immigration policies, the immigrant denounced the actions of many migration agents during operations against irregular Haitians as abusive. He specifically pointed out that deportation measures seem to exclusively target Haitian citizens, while foreigners of other nationalities without documentation are allegedly not repatriated. "There are many people who are not legal, but it is always Haitians who are deported," he asserted.

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They entered my house and took the money that was under my bed.

Another case reported to Diario Libre involves a Haitian woman working as a domestic helper. According to individuals close to her, she was detained on June 23 near the Duarte Highway while heading to a subway station. An alleged migration agent demanded 15,000 pesos from her to continue her journey. Her employers reportedly intervened, making the payment via a bank transfer to an account provided by the agent. Although the woman has documents for her migration regularization process, she faces delays due to the closure of Dominican consulates in Haiti.

The security guard also detailed the conditions at the Haina Vacational Reception Center, where he claims detainees sleep on the floor. He stated that prior to the incident at his home, he had been detained and taken to this center, remaining there from Saturday night until Monday morning before being transported to the Haitian border.

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There are many people who are not legal, but it is always Haitians who are deported.