Overview:
The Support Group for Repatriates and Refugees (GARR) says more than 68,000 Haitians were repatriated during the first quarter of 2026, marking a sharp increase compared to the same period last year. The organization cites human rights abuses, harsh detention conditions and the vulnerability of women, children and people with disabilities among deportees, while warning that Haiti’s worsening insecurity and poverty continue to fuel migration and hinder reintegration efforts.
PORT-AU-PRINCE — More than 68,000 Haitians were repatriated from several countries during the first quarter of 2026, according to figures released by the Support Group for Repatriates and Refugees (GARR), which warned that worsening insecurity and poverty in Haiti are fueling migration while making deportees’ reintegration increasingly difficult.
The organization presented the data during a May 6 press conference in Port-au-Prince, noting that deportations during the first three months of 2026 exceeded those recorded during the same period last year, when more than 55,000 Haitians were returned.
“These figures clearly show how difficult the humanitarian situation is,” said Stenley Orbruth Doriscar, GARR’s communications officer. “With the current crisis, we are not in a position to help such a large number of people truly reintegrate after being deported to Haiti.”
According to GARR, most deportees were returned from the Dominican Republic, though repatriations also came from the United States, the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica, Canada and Puerto Rico.
The surge in deportations comes as Haiti faces one of its worst humanitarian and security crises in decades. Armed gangs now control much of the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area and key national roads, displacing more than 1.4 million people, according to international organizations. The collapse of economic activity, widespread hunger and escalating violence continue to drive thousands of Haitians to leave the country despite mounting risks abroad.
Communications officer for Support Group for Rapatriates and Refugees, Stenley Orbruth Doriscar, speaks at a press conference in Port-au-Prince, Wednesday, May 6, 2026. Photo by Juhakenson Blaise/The Haitian Times
Women, children and vulnerable immigrants among deportees
For March alone, GARR recorded more than 22,000 deportations to Haiti.
The Dominican Republic accounted for more than 21,000 of those returns through the four main border crossings at Ouanaminthe, Belladère, Malpasse and Anse-à-Pitres.
Among the deportees were many vulnerable people, including 121 pregnant women and 246 breastfeeding mothers, who GARR said were forcibly returned from the Dominican Republic. The organization also identified more than 100 people living with disabilities and 229 unaccompanied minors among those repatriated in March.
“Many Haitian migrants suffer discrimination, mistreatment and racist abuse during these deportation operations, under the silence of a system based on impunity,” Doriscar said.
“Despite the contribution of Haitian migrants to the economies of host countries, their rights continue to be violated,” he added.
Other countries also carried out deportations during March. The Bahamas repatriated 146 Haitians, while the United States deported 118 people after deporting at least 272 between January and February. Jamaica returned 46 Haitians in its first deportation operation of the year, and Turks and Caicos sent back 21 migrants.
Haiti’s crisis continues to fuel migration
GARR says worsening living conditions in Haiti continue to push people to flee, even as deportations increase and neighboring countries tighten migration enforcement.
According to the organization, 85% of Haitians deported in 2025 — particularly from the Dominican Republic — had left Haiti for economic reasons, while another 6% cited insecurity as the primary factor.
Despite the risks of abuse and deportation, migration attempts continue. GARR said Dominican authorities intercepted approximately 13,000 Haitians attempting to cross the border during the first months of 2026.
The organization warned that insecurity is also limiting the capacity of humanitarian groups to support returning migrants.
Gang violence has disrupted transportation networks, restricted access to public services and severely affected the movement of goods and people throughout the country. More than 5 million Haitians are facing acute food insecurity, according to international estimates.
GARR called on host countries to respect the rights and dignity of Haitian migrants, particularly pregnant women and children, and urged international organizations, including Amnesty International, to pressure governments accused of abusive deportation practices.
The group also called on Haitian authorities to address the root causes driving migration, including insecurity, economic collapse and lack of basic services.
“GARR believes that home is the best place where every Haitian would want to live without risking their life and being humiliated in a foreign land,” Doriscar said.
“The State must provide proper travel documents and also create decent living conditions to encourage Haitians abroad to return to their country voluntarily, rather than being deported.”
