From Exclusion to Emergency: Understanding the Crisis Facing Haitian Migrants in the Dominican Republic

As pathways to protection for Haitian migrants narrow across the United States—and conditions in Haiti continue to deteriorate, the Dominican Republic has become one of the places where the regional consequences of these shifts are most visible. While deportations have received the greatest international attention, local organizations in the DR describe a much broader protection crisis in which Haitian migrants and their families face increasing vulnerability to exploitation, abuse, and exclusion. Organizations on the ground report that fear now affects nearly every aspect of daily life, including seeking healthcare, reporting crimes, traveling, accessing services, and asserting basic rights. Anti-Haitian narratives have become normalized in public discourse, accompanied by policies that in the past would not have been accepted.

The result is not simply a migration crisis. It is a broader crisis of protection, rights, public health, and social inclusion.

Recognizing this, a small group of NEID funders supporting frontline organizations…