IACHR Expresses Concern over Pregnant Women Expelled in the Dominican Republic
It calls on the State to guarantee access to protection mechanisms and reproductive health services (December 1, 2021).
The Commission has received with concern reports from civil society organizations indicating that migration authorities may be conducting migration control operations in hospitals that report a high influx of pregnant migrant women, mainly of Haitian origin or descent, with the purpose of expelling them without taking into account their humanitarian protection needs. These actions take place within a broader institutional context. On September 28, the National Migration Council reportedly adopted an interpretation of migration regulations in the Dominican Republic that avoids the entry of any foreign person whose presence would imply an unreasonable burden on public finances; this includes women whose pregnancy has been confirmed to be at or beyond six months. In addition, the IACHR notes the announcement made by the National Migration Council on November 2 regarding a new audit of a total of 220,000 persons regularized under the National Regularization Plan. These administrative decisions could generate exclusionary effects for the migrant population and additional obstacles to accessing essential rights and services, such as health and personal integrity.