Friday, July 21, a group of organizations "The Centro de Orientación e Investigación Integral", "the Observatorio de Derechos Humanos para Grupos Vulnerabilizados" (Odhgv) and the "Socio-cultural Movement of Haitian Workers" denounced the intervention of agents of the General Directorate of Migration (DGM) who entered a Hospital (Maternity of Our Lady of Altagracia), in Higüey‚ to arrest pregnant Haitian migrants and others with their newborns in an irregular migration situation.

These organizations said in a statement that the migration entered the health center without a warrant, searched black people and arrested the illegals, who were put in a prison truck to be taken to an administrative detention center before their deportation...

"In addition to these events in this hospital, there are a series of violations and arbitrary arrests that highlight a policy focused on the persecution of Haitian migrants without respecting the guarantees of due process or human dignity, violating the Constitution, the law on migration and international covenants and conventions," the statement said.

These organizations described as "unacceptable that the DGM ignores its own regulations which establish that detention will not be applied to minors, pregnant or breastfeeding women [...]"

Faced with this complaint, the bishop of the diocese of La Altagracia, Mgr Jesús Castro Marte, described the action as unacceptable while asking for an investigation arriving on his twitter account "Faced with the postulates of Christian Humanism, it is unacceptable that agents of the DGM enter the hospital of Higüey to arrest Haitian women who have come to give birth solely under an administrative mandate. Human dignity is above all. I demand a thorough investigation."

S/ iciHaiti