According to the Support Group for Repatriates and Refugees (GAAR) on September 18, environmental agents accompanied by Dominican soldiers arrested in "Las Mercedes" locality of Pedernales, 47 Haitians (19 children, 13 men and 15 women) and have burned 7 of their houses [built with permission of owners Dominicans]... Those nationals originating mainly of the municipality of Belle-Anse, worked in Dominican plantations for several years.

Haitians victims of forced eviction, said they were forced to board a helicopter that took them to a Dominican military base, to Cabo Rojo, before being deported in Anse-à-Pitre (Southeast of Haiti). These migrants have denounced the brutality used by the military to put them out and say to wait for the rescue of Haitian authorities, as they are for now, delivered to themselves.

These 47 Haitians were welcomed by the GARR and the Human Rights Committee of the commune of Anse-à-Pitre. A meeting was held on September 18 to which attended local authorities, members of the PNH, representatives of GAAR and the Human Rights Committee of the commune, for a better coordination of humanitarian assistance to the victims.

The GAAR stresses that the conditions in which was done this deportation operation is a flagrant violation by the Dominican Republic, of the Protocol of Agreement on repatriation, that it had signed with Haiti in December 1999 and whose one of the points stresses, that returnees are entitled to recover their personal goods. As part of this expulsion, the Dominicans have also violated several international conventions on the protection of children, families and the right to housing.

GARR urged the Haitian government to defend the rights of victims of "Las Mercedes" and to publicly speak about the serious abuses recorded too often, against Haitian migrants in the Dominican Republic.

HL/ HaitiLibre