Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – In a disturbing escalation of its immigration policies, the Dominican Republic is now reportedly targeting the most vulnerable: pregnant Haitian women and mothers cradling their new-born babies, snatched from hospital beds in a brutal crackdown on undocumented migrants. Eyewitness accounts paint a horrifying picture of vulnerable women, seeking or having just received critical medical care, being ripped from hospital beds and thrust into detention, facing imminent deportation.
Just days ago, on Monday, April 21st, a staggering 87 women and 48 children were swept up in ruthless hospital raids. The chilling reality is that over half of these women were heavily pregnant, their advanced state offering no reprieve from the Dominican authorities' iron fist. This unprecedented targeting of expectant and new mothers marks a shocking trend and new low in the Dominican Republic's relentless pursuit of undocumented Haitian nationals, a campaign that has already seen a staggering 86,000 deported in the first quarter of 2025 alone – a figure, although dwarfed the 276,000 deported throughout the entirety of last year.
The chilling justification for these hospital raids appears rooted in newly implemented presidential protocols. These draconian measures mandate that medical staff act as de facto immigration officers, demanding identification, proof of employment and residency, and evidence of payment from all migrant patients. Those who cannot produce the required documents are seemingly flagged for immediate repatriation the moment their medical needs are addressed.
While Dominican immigration officials have issued sterile statements claiming detainees are treated with "dignity," these hollow assurances ring false against the backdrop of emerging reports from the ground. Whispers of intimidation, the callous disregard for the delicate post-natal condition of mothers and newborns, facing detention in squalid, overcrowded conditions a reality far removed from the official narrative, echoing past accusations of inhumane treatment.
The deliberate targeting of pregnant women and new mothers has ignited fury amongst human rights organisations. Critics are aghast at what they describe as a blatant violation of fundamental human rights and international humanitarian law. The sheer vulnerability of these women and their infants, often requiring vital follow-up medical attention, makes their forceful removal and potential separation utterly unconscionable.
"Imagine the terror of a new mother, still weak and bleeding, being dragged from her hospital bed and separated from her fragile newborn," exclaimed Isabella Rossi, a spokesperson for Amnesty International. "This isn't about immigration enforcement; it's a descent into barbarity."
The crisis is compounded by the desperate situation in Haiti, a nation teetering on the brink of collapse due to political chaos, rampant gang violence, and a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. For countless Haitian women, seeking medical care in the Dominican Republic is a desperate act of survival, a lifeline in the face of their own country's collapse. To be met with such brutal treatment in their moment of greatest need is an act of profound cruelty that demands immediate international condemnation and intervention. The world must now confront this shocking chapter unfolding in the Dominican Republic and demand an end to this inhumane persecution of its most vulnerable.