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Displaced into a Crisis: The Burden of Forced Return into Haiti

Ouanaminthe, Haiti – At the Ouanaminthe border, in the north of Haiti, Guerson walked alongside his partner, Roselène, carrying their youngest daughter in his arms. Their four-year-old son, Kenson, gripped his mother’s hand tightly, while Roselène’s stayed fixed on the path ahead. The family, once residents of the Dominican Republic, had been forcibly returned to Haiti – a place that, after years abroad, felt unfamiliar and more uncertain than ever.

Guerson and Roselène had spent over a decade in the Dominican Republic, building their lives in Loma de Cabrera. Guerson found work as a mechanic at a small garage, where he spent long days fixing cars, motorbikes, and agricultural equipment. His hands, often smeared with grease, were a source of pride. “People trusted me with their vehicles,” he said. “It was hard work, but I could provide for my family.”

Roselène, meanwhile, managed their modest home. She prepared meals and sold patés and fried plantains to neighbours, adding to the family income. Their daily life was simple but stable: mornings filled with the hum of tools from Guerson’s garage, the aroma of banan peze (Haitian fried green plantains) frying in Roselène’s kitchen, and the laughter of their children playing outside. Kenson attended a local preschool, and Roselène spoke of how proud she felt seeing him learn to write his name.

“We had a routine. We had dreams,” Roselène reflected. “It wasn’t always easy, but it was a life we could hold on to.”

Then the Dominican authorities arrived. “My children didn’t understand – Kenson asked if we were going on a trip. I didn’t know how to answer him.”

The family was herded onto a truck. “I held my baby so tightly. I was afraid we wouldn’t survive the journey,” Guerson recalled.

Crossing the border into Haiti felt like stepping into chaos. Ouanaminthe, already struggling with a sharp increase in deportations, lacked the capacity to respond to the growing crisis. Families stood on dusty roads, clutching bags and children, unsure of where to go. Guerson’s family was among them. “We stood there for hours, lost,” Roselène said. “The children were hungry. I didn’t know how to comfort them because I had nothing left to give.”

Humanitarian organizations, especially the International Organization for Migration (IOM), provide essential assistance upon arrival in Haiti to deportees like Guerson’s family: hygiene kits, food, medical care, and psychosocial support. Yet the needs far exceed available resources. 

A crisis within a crisis

Haiti, a country already reeling from gang violence, economic collapse, and political instability, faces a dire humanitarian crisis. Armed groups now control large parts of the country, including key roads in and out of the capital, Port-au-Prince. Nearly 5.5 million people – half of Haiti’s population – require humanitarian aid to survive. The years of violence has displaced over 700,000 people, forcing families into precarious shelters including abandoned schools and churches. In these places, access to food, water, and health care is limited, leaving many extremely vulnerable.

Adding to these challenges, the influx of deported families like Guerson’s has stretched already meager resources. In 2024 alone, over 200,000 Haitians were forcibly returned to the country. Many, like Guerson and Roselène, arrive with nothing but the clothes on their backs. 

“Back there, we had a future,” Guerson said. “Here, we don’t even know if we have tomorrow.” The family, like so many others, feels displaced and forgotten in a country struggling to address their most basic needs.

IOM, along with the authorities and its partners, continues to provide life-saving support, including medical services, and hygiene kits, but the existing reception facilities are overstretched and cannot accommodate all those in need. Without increased international support, the gaps in assistance will grow, and families like Guerson’s will continue to suffer.

An urgent need for action

The faces of deportees at the border tell a story of strength despite the grim reality of their situation. Guerson and Roselène remain somewhat hopeful that they will return some day. “In the meantime, I will find a way to work,” Guerson said softly, though his words carried uncertainty. “For my children.”

The humanitarian crisis in Haiti is not just a national issue; it is a global one. International support is crucial to address the root causes of migration and to provide sustainable and long-term solutions for families like Guerson’s. Without it, the cycle of despair will continue and expand. As crises multiply, ensuring deportees are met with dignity and care remains a humanitarian imperative. 

*Names have been altered. All individuals in the photos were informed of their purpose and gave their consent.
 

This story was written by Antoine Lemonnier, IOM Haiti Communications Officer.

SDG 3 - Good Health and Well Being
SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities
WRITTEN BY
Antoine Lemonnier

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