Haitians have taken to the streets to protest against mistreatment by authorities, following a controversial series of actions by the Dominican Republic’s migration agency. On Tuesday, the agency arrested 48 pregnant women and 39 others who had recently given birth, alongside 48 minors. The following day, another 78 migrants were detained at hospitals, although the authorities have yet to provide further details.

The United Nations and human rights activists have raised alarm over the rising number of pregnant women being deported from the Dominican Republic to Haiti, where they face heightened risks to their lives. In Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, fewer than 40% of health facilities remain operational amid escalating gang violence.

This crackdown on migrants is part of a broader set of measures, more than a dozen in total, announced earlier this month aimed at curbing the number of undocumented migrants in the Dominican Republic. The actions come as thousands of people flee neighbouring Haiti, seeking refuge from an intensifying wave of gang violence.

Agencies.