Organizations call for a halt to the deportation of pregnant Haitian women

Santo Domingo.- Civil society organizations called on the authorities this Wednesday to stop the deportations of pregnant Haitian women following an increase in cases after the implementation of the immigration verification protocol in 33 hospitals, as part of a series of measures by the Government to address irregular immigration from neighboring Haiti.

In a statement, the organizations denounced that on May 9th, Lourdia Jean Pierre, a Haitian resident in the country, died while giving birth in her home out of fear of being detained and deported if she went to a health center.

This fact, they pointed out, “evidences the lethal impact of the application of the protocol for the care of foreign women, which has led to arbitrary detentions of pregnant women and new mothers, in violation of article 134 of Law 285-04 on Migration, which prohibits the detention of pregnant women, breastfeeding women and minors”.

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In this regard, organizations demanded the immediate cessation of deportations of pregnant women and new mothers in hospitals and health centers, and the withdrawal of personnel from the General Directorate of Migration (DGM) from health facilities, “ensuring that medical care is not interfered with by repressive measures”.

They also requested the implementation of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health policies, including access to contraception, timely information, and therapeutic abortion services, as well as plans for the prevention of maternal mortality.

Also a commitment from the Dominican Medical College, unions in the health sector, and the Ministry of Public Health to defend the autonomy and rights of women in all areas of medical care. The request was made by the National Confederation of Rural Women (Conamuca), the Magaly Pineda Feminist Forum, the Coalition for Women’s Rights, Life and Health, the Women’s Support Nucleus (NAM), the Democratic Union of Women (Udemu) and the Women in Development Team (Emude). Likewise, the Center for Research for Feminist Action (Cifae), the Dominican Haitian Women’s Movement (Mudha), the Association of Domestic Workers (ATH), the Center for Solidarity for Women’s Development (Ce-Mujer), the Committee for Unity and Women’s Rights (Cudem), the Expressions Art, Health and Gender Foundation (Fearsage) and the Center for Gender Studies of Intec.