Dominican Republic: Amnesty International calls for an investigation into the death of a young man during a migration operation in Punta Cana

According to local media, the death occurred after an agent from the Dirección General de Migración reportedly shot him during the operation. The authorities have not provided further details on the matter.

Ana Piquer, Americas director for Amnesty International, stressed that the context of Dominican migration policies must be taken into account in this investigation. She stated that over several years, AI and both Dominican and Haitian organizations have documented practices of "racial profiling, arbitrary detentions, collective deportations and other forms of violence and discrimination" linked to the government's migration policies.

AI insisted that the intentional use of lethal force can only be justified in cases of an imminent threat to protect life. The organization also believes that an individual's migration status does not in itself constitute a valid reason to resort to unlawful measures.

Finally, AI called on the Dominican authorities to investigate the death and take a closer look at practices that may violate human rights or lead to discrimination based on national origin or skin color. "The authorities must ensure that no person loses their freedom, security or life as a consequence of a migration policy driven by racism," AI stated.

Since October 2024, the Dominican government has been running a campaign aimed at repatriating up to 10,000 Haitians per week to control irregular immigration. According to official figures cited by EFE, between January and July of this year, 250,429 undocumented Haitians were deported to Haiti, a country facing a profound institutional, economic and security crisis.