In the capital, Port-au-Prince, where another 160,000 people have been displaced, excessive violence remains high and gangs are believed to dominate 80 percent of the city.
But despite the dire situation, just a six-hour drive from the Haitian capital to the border with the Dominican Republic, Haitian refugees have not been allowed to enter the only other country on the shared island of Hispaniola.
Some 160,000 more people have been displaced in Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph/Dossier)
U. S. NATIONAL SECURITY U. S. FACES GREAT RISKS AS GANGS FIGHT FOR CONTROL OF HAITI
On Monday, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said an estimated 17,000 more people had fled Port-au-Prince in less than a week, following the abrupt resignation of Haiti’s interim prime minister, Ariel Henry.
Dominican President Luis Abinader made headlines this month when he issued a call to action at a U. N. Security Council meeting, warning that “either we fight together to save Haiti or we will fight the Dominican Republic alone. “
This view shows the wall being built across the Dominican Republic on the border with Haiti in March 2023. (Erika Santelices/AFP Getty Images)
It is unclear exactly how many Haitians have attempted to flee to the Dominican Republic, IOM found that the majority of displaced Haitians intend to remain in the country, while 3, according to the hundred, intend to travel to the neighboring country and 1, according to the hundred, plan to travel to the neighboring country. travel to the neighboring country, the United States or Brazil.
A Dominican Republic soldier organizes the crossing of Haitians at the border after they were allowed to enter a farmers’ market to buy produce and industries in Dajabon, Dominican Republic, on March 18, 2024. (Reuters/Fran Afonso)
The unrest has raised concerns within the foreign network about the potential for mass migration incidents as Haitians try to flee violence at home; They are unlikely to be able to flee on foot.
Abinader has already taken steps toward the border since the nearby crisis by blocking Haitian refugees, deporting undocumented Haitians and proceeding to build a sweeping border wall, even though he has allowed Haitians to cross the Dajabón border checkpoint to access a market where they can shop. and sell goods.
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Dominican Republic soldiers stand guard before opening the gate to allow Haitians to cross the border after they were allowed to enter a farmers’ market for commodities and industries in Dajabon, Dominican Republic, on March 18, 2024. (Reuters/Fran Afonso)
A 12-foot wall, dubbed a “smart security fence” by Dominican authorities, stretches for a few miles along the border with Haiti.
The fence, built more than two years ago, leverages technologies such as drones, 360-degree cameras and night vision to allow Dominican marines to take other security measures, such as patrolling the complex, a commander told Fox News correspondent Bryan Llenas.
Haitian nationals get off a truck to be deported at the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, in Dajabon province, Dominican Republic, March 17, 2024. (Reuters/Fran Afonso)
Despite some complaints about the strict ban on Haitians seeking safe haven in the neighboring country, the Dominican government argues that the border fence has helped combat Haitian gangs and decrease the theft of vehicles, motors and livestock.
Some in the U. S. have noted the Dominican Republic’s good fortune with its strict border-crossing regulations as validation of the fact that policies like building a wall may be nothing more than immigration disruptions closer to home.
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A U. S. Border Patrol agent The U. S. Department of Homeland Security monitors more than 2000 migrants at a processing box in Eagle Pass, Texas, on Dec. 18, 2023. (John Moore/Getty Images)
“The Biden administration has politicized and emotionalized [the] border wall, making them enemies of detecting them for the national security asset they have traditionally demonstrated. The president wants to wake up to the truth that strong and effective border security measures “matter. “to national security,” Texas Republican Rep. August Pfluger, who sits on the House Homeland Security Committee, told Fox News Digital.
Asked if the U. S. was running with its Dominican counterparts to inspire them to open their borders to refugees, a State Department official told Fox News Digital that he would not comment on personal diplomatic discussions.
Fox News’ Bryan Llenas and Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Caitlin McFall is a reporter for Fox News Digital and covers political news in the U. S. In the U. S. and around the world.