Statement of Outrage by the Jesuit Migrant Service – Haiti (SJM-Haiti) Regarding theMistreatment of Haitian Migrants

Date: July 24th, 2026

Author: Jesuit Migrant Service/Solidarite Fwontalye – Haiti (SJM-Haiti)

The Jesuit Migrant Service – Haiti (SJM-Haiti) expresses its deep outrage at the images widely circulated on social media—and confirmed by Armando Pascual Made on his blog El Faro del Sur in an article published on Wednesday, July 22, 2026—showing a man identified as a Haitian national, handcuffed, lying perpendicular like a piece of wood and being transported on a motorcycle by two agents of the General Direction of Migration (DGM) in the Dominican Republic, during an immigration checkpoint operation in San Juan de la Maguana.

Although Dominican authorities have not yet issued an official statement regarding this video or clarified whether the procedures observed comply with their protocols, the images have deeply shocked the public. They raise serious questions about respect for human dignity and international standards regarding the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty.

How can one not be outraged by such a scene? How can we remain silent when a human being appears to be transported under conditions that seem incompatible with the respect due to every person? Behind every migrant is a face, a story, a family, suffering, and a dignity that do not disappear with immigration status.

SJM-Haiti strongly reiterates that no person loses their fundamental rights because of their nationality or immigration status. Whether a migrant is in a regular or irregular situation, they remain, above all, a human being, entitled to inalienable rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the American Convention on Human Rights, and other international human rights instruments.

Migration management falls within the sovereignty of States. Every State has the right to enforcé its immigration laws and control its borders. However, this right is accompanied by the obligation to respect the fundamental principles of dignity, proportionality, non-discrimination, and humanity in all operations involving control, detention, and repatriation.

SJM-Haiti strongly condemns any form of mistreatment, humiliation, theft, violence, or dehumanization inflicted upon migrants of Haitian origin. We call on the Dominican authorities to clarify the circumstances of this incident, to determine whether the procedures used comply with applicable national and international standards, and, if necessary, to take the necessary measures to prevent any violation of the dignity of the individuals concerned.

We also urge the authorities of both countries, human rights organizations, churches, international institutions, and all actors committed to justice to continue their efforts to ensure that the protection of human dignity remains at the heart of migration policies.

As an organization inspired by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Jesuit Migrant Service – Haiti reaffirms that every migrant bears the image of God. Our commitment is rooted in Christ’s call: “I was a stranger, and you welcomed me” (Mt 25:35). This call finds a special echo in the teaching that Pope Francis has bequeathed to us, which constantly invites peoples and governments to welcome, protect, promote, and integrate migrants and refugees.

Today more than ever, we call on all people of good will to reject the trivialization of human suffering. We cannot allow men, women, and children to be reduced solely to their immigration status. They are, above all, human beings, endowed with a dignity that no one can or should take away from them.

Silence in the face of dehumanization is a form of complicity. SJM-Haiti will continue to make its voice heard to defend the rights of migrants, promote a culture of solidarity, and remind the world that human dignity must know no borders, no nationality, and no immigration status.

View the press release in French, Spanish, and English.