Dominican Republic detains pregnant Haitian women in hospital swoop

The Dominican Republic says it deported more than 130 Haitian women and children on the first day of a crackdown on undocumented migrants in hospitals.

Dominican authorities said 48 pregnant women, 39 new mothers and 48 children were removed on Monday.

The swoop is one of 15 measures announced by President Luis Abinader to cut the number of undocumented migrants in his country, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.

Abinader's government has been criticised for its harsh treatment of Haitian migrants, many of whom are fleeing the extreme gang violence in their country.

Those deported were taken to a detention centre to have their biometric data and fingerprints taken, before being handed to Haitian authorities at the Elías Piña border crossing.

The Dominican immigration department said the women and their children "were treated with dignity and given food".

Immigration officials added that those detained were taken to the border in buses "with padded seats, safety belts, air conditioning, curtains, CCTV cameras, bathrooms, and a luggage area".

Officials also said all were deported after they had been "discharged from hospital and there were no risks to their health".

However, the Dominican College of Physicians called the deportations "inhumane" and said that checking people's migratory status and detaining them in hospitals would lead to undocumented migrants being too afraid to seek urgent medical care.

At least half a million Haitians are estimated to live in the Dominican Republic, which has a population of 11m.

One study suggests close to 33,000 Haitian mothers gave birth in Dominican hospitals last years.

Many Dominicans complain of the additional strain on public services, including health.

President Abinader said earlier this month that his country's "generosity will not be exploited", and that public hospitals would be required to check patients' IDs, work permits and proof of residence.

He said that those not in possession of the necessary papers would be deported after being treated.

The Dominican Republic has deported more than 80,000 people to Haiti in the first three months of this year, according to AFP news agency.

Rights groups have described the deportations as "cruel".

More than 5,600 people were killed in gang violence in Haiti in 2024 and many hospitals have had to close after being stormed by gang members.

On Monday, the UN special representative to Haiti, María Isabel Salvador, warned that a recent surge in gang violence meant the country was approaching a "point of no return".