Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader has announced a sweeping set of measures to tighten border security and immigration controls in response to the spiraling crisis in neighboring Haiti, where gang violence and political instability have displaced over a million people.
In a national address on Sunday, Abinader said the Dominican Republic would deploy 1,500 additional troops to the Haitian border, adding to the 9,500 already stationed there. The move is part of a broader crackdown on irregular migration and border crossings, which formed a central pillar of Abinader’s successful re-election campaign in May 2024.
“We will step up surveillance of the borders,” the president said, reaffirming his administration’s hardline stance amid growing international pressure to ease migration restrictions. “We are acting in defense of national security.”
Abinader also approved the extension of the border wall separating the two nations, which share the island of Hispaniola. Of the more than 300km (186 miles) of border, roughly 54km (33 miles) of the wall has been completed. The new directive will fast-track construction of an additional 13km (8 miles).
Legal reforms aimed at deterring undocumented migration are also in the pipeline, including harsher penalties for individuals or groups found aiding illegal entry or residence in the Dominican Republic.
The Dominican government’s response comes amid mounting chaos in Haiti, where a coalition of armed gangs has seized control of much of the capital, Port-au-Prince. Despite the arrival of a 1,000-strong Kenyan peacekeeping force, violence has surged in recent weeks, further destabilizing the country’s fragile transitional government.
According to the United Nations, more than 5,600 Haitians were killed in 2024, with over a million displaced. Many have fled to the Dominican Republic, straining already tense bilateral relations and prompting a wave of mass deportations.
Authorities in Santo Domingo have reportedly targeted up to 10,000 Haitian nationals for repatriation each week, drawing criticism from human rights groups who say deportees face grave dangers upon return.
Despite the pushback, Abinader has doubled down on his administration’s approach, urging the international community — particularly the United States — to offer greater assistance while defending his government’s immigration policies as necessary for national stability.
