Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

1. Overview

An online tracking tool provided by the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports the following statistics on Haitians who have been deported since 2021:

Year	Men	%	Women	%	Children	%	Total
2021	11,750	59.9	4,711	24.0	3,169	16.2	19,630
2022	26,250	66.5	8,163	20.7	5,048	12.8	39,461
2023	151,234	69.8	43,928	20.3	21,515	10.0	216,677
2024	154,221	77.4	34,725	17.4	10,232	5.2	199,178
2025 (up to July 28)	101,081	68.0	35,008	23.5	12,575	8.4	148,664
Total	444,536	71.3	126,535	20.3	52,539	8.5	623,610

(UN 2025-07-28)

The same tool provides the following data on deported Haitians by the country of deportation:

Country of deportation	Year	Total
2021 (%)	2022 (%)	2023 (%)	2024 (%)	2025 (up to July 28) (%)
Dominican Republic	n/a	42.88	96.07	97.15	97.97	90.49
US	76.24	38.45	0.86	0.78	0.37	5.46
Turks and Caicos	3.83	4.50	1.54	1.11	1.44	1.64
Bahamas	10.19	6.50	0.93	0.57	0.18	1.28
Cuba	6.95	7.61	0.35	n/a	n/a	0.82
Türkiye	n/a	n/a	0.21	0.37	n/a	0.19
Mexico	2.79	n/a	n/a	n/a	0.00	0.09
Jamaica	n/a	n/a	0.03	0.02	0.04	0.03

(UN 2025-07-28)

The Migration Policy Institute (MPI), a "nonpartisan" organization with headquarters in Washington, DC that produces research and advocates for improved immigration and integration policies (MPI n.d.), states that, as of 2023, the "United States is the most popular destination for Haitian migrants," and "many" migrate to Brazil, Canada, Chile, and the Dominican Republic (MPI 2023-07-05).

According to the Miami Herald, a US newspaper serving the South Florida region, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) deported 2,803 Haitians from 2020 to October 2024 (2024-11-01). Media sources indicate that 21 Haitian were deported from the US to Haiti in February 2025 under the second Donald Trump administration (NorthJersey.com 2025-03-12; The Haitian Times 2025-02-05). Sources report that 109 Haitians were deported from the US in July 2025 (IciHaiti 2025-07-17; VBI 2025-07-16). The Miami Herald notes that the Trump administration transferred 20 Haitians to the Guantánamo Bay naval base before deporting them back to Haiti in June 2025, after denying plans to do so (2025-06-25).

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) of the DHS indicates that the DHS is termininating the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) [1] designation for Haitian nationals, effective 2 September 2025, despite a previous order in July 2024 granting an extension until 3 February 2026 (US 2025-07-01, 1). According to sources, the TPS termination could impact about 500,000 Haitians living in the US (BBC 2025-02-21; NBC 2025-07-01; WLRN 2025-06-28). However, media sources report that a judge in the US Federal Court decided in July 2025 that the TPS could not be terminated before 3 February 2026 (The Haitian Times 2025-07-21; CBS News 2025-07-02; AP 2025-07-02).

In a February 2023 statement made after concluding his official visit to Haiti, the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights indicated that "until the dire situation in the country is resolved, it is clear that systematic violations and abuses of human rights do not currently allow for the safe, dignified and sustainable return of Haitians to Haiti" (UN 2023-02-10). In January 2025, the UN Human Rights High Commissioner reiterated their "'call to all States not to forcibly return anyone to Haiti'" (UN 2025-01-07).

Sources interviewed by the Research Directorate in 2024 report that Haitian nationals are "very rare[ly]" (Officials 2024-01-11) or "probably not" (Director 2024-01-16; Independent Anthropologist 2024-01-16) returning voluntarily; however, there is a trend of Haitian nationals "voluntarily returning" from the Dominican Republic as a result of safety concerns there (Officials 2024-01-11). In a joint interview in 2024 with the Research Directorate, a director at the Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) [2], speaking on their own behalf, and an independent anthropologist, who is based in Haiti, noted that Haitians do not stay in the Dominican Republic for long, but, as it is difficult for Haitian migrants to reach the US, those returning from there are more likely to have been absent from Haiti for longer periods; for example, "they may be in the US for two months or two years, but their journey has been as long as 6 years" (Director 2024-01-16; Independent Anthropologist 2024-01-16).

1.1 Identifiability of Returnees

In a telephone interview with the Research Directorate conducted in January 2024, the Co-Director of Défenseurs Plus [3] who is a human rights and international rights lawyer in Port-au-Prince, stated that being able to speak English but speaking Creole with difficulty could be an indicator to other Haitians that one is a returnee (Lawyer 2024-01-17). Similarly, two officials at the IOM mission in Haiti [4], in a 2024 interview with the Research Directorate and speaking on their own behalf as subject matter experts, indicated that "many" people returning to Haiti cannot speak French or Creole (Officials 2024-01-11). In the 2024 joint interview, the Director at HBA noted that they knew of an individual who was outside of Haiti for 3 years and was identifiable as a returnee because they had lost their Haitian accent (Director 2024-01-16).

The Director and the Independent Anthropologist reported in 2024 that returnees will "stand out" (Director 2024-01-16; Independent Anthropologist 2024-01-16). They added that Haitian society "is very close knit [and] people know and recognize outsiders" (Director 2024-01-16; Independent Anthropologist 2024-01-16). The lawyer noted that Haiti is a [translation] "small country" and an individual's arrival at the airport under police control would be information shared among families, neighbourhoods, or villages (Lawyer 2024-01-17). The same source added that arriving at the airport wearing clothing imposed on [translation] "people who have been expelled" by the US or the Bahamas would be another indicator that an individual is a deportee (Lawyer 2024-01-17).

2. Treatment of Returnees

The Officials reported in 2024 that Haitians returning to Haiti are at risk but specified that the risk is not particular to returnees and is shared with the whole country (2024-01-11). The same source stated that there is no particular treatment by society of returnees or deportees because they are "so common" (Officials 2024-01-11). In correspondence with the Research Directorate in 2024, the Chancellor of the Interuniversity Institute for Research and Development (INURED) [5], speaking on behalf of the organization, similarly noted that returnees will "suffer the same political, economic, environmental, and social challenges as the general population is suffering in the moment of compounded crisis" in Haiti (INURED 2024-01-18). The same source stated that returnees are not "necessarily targeted or harassed" because they are perceived to have "no resources" for which to be exploited (INURED 2024-01-18). In interviews with the Research Directorate conducted in July 2025, sources reported that the security situation has escalated, with gang violence spreading across the country and no longer limited to Port-au-Prince as it was in 2024; however, the sources maintained that the whole Haitian population faces the risk of violence, and that the risk is not particular to returnees (Officials 2025-07-15; Independent Anthropologist 2025-07-15). However, 3 different officials from the IOM, speaking on their own behalf, explained in an interview with the Research Directorate conducted in 2025 that returnees who have lived abroad since before 2024 would have [translation] "more difficulty" adapting as they "would therefore not be able to understand the extent that things have taken in such a short time" (Officials 2025-07-15). For further information on the situation of gangs in Haiti, including recruitment by gangs, see Response to Information Request HTI202377 of August 2025.

However, the Lawyer reported in 2024 that Haitians returning to Haiti after an extended absence abroad are at risk (2024-01-17). The Lawyer stated that society views returnees who have lived abroad for an extended period of time as wealthy and that puts them at risk to be held for ransom by either criminal groups or individual criminals because the economic situation in Haiti has pushed society to take [translation] "desperate measures" (Lawyer 2024-01-17). The same source noted that returnees face the risk of being killed if their family cannot pay the ransom (Lawyer 2024-01-17).

In the joint interview with the Research Directorate in 2024, when asked if returnees who have spent long periods of time abroad face risk, the Director and the Independent Anthropologist responded: "the general answer is 'yes'" and reported that the current situation of insecurity is "pretty severe" (Director 2024-01-16; Independent Anthropologist 2024-01-16). The same sources further stated that returnees are at risk from people who are taking advantage of the climate of insecurity in the country, and that there are "a lot of layers" to the "threats" to which returnees can become "victims" (Director 2024-01-16; Independent Anthropologist 2024-01-16).

The same sources noted that "a lot of migration" occurs in Port-au-Prince, where "a lot of insecurity is based" (Director 2024-01-16; Independent Anthropologist 2024-01-16). Similarly, the Officials noted that "practically [every returnee]" must pass through Port-au-Prince, and that it is "the main harbour for risk" (2024-01-11). However, International flights, as of July 2025, land at Cap-Haïtien [in the north of the country] (Director 2025-07-09; France 2025-07-02) due to the security situation in Port-au-Prince, and not at Toussaint-Louverture airport [in Port-au-Prince] (France 2025-07-02).

The Independent Anthropologist reported that because of the "dire" economic situation, returnees are taken advantage of and are robbed after receiving "minimal" financial assistance to resettle in Haiti (2024-01-16). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

2.1 Treatment by Society

The Lawyer stated that society assumes that those who return to Haiti were deported, and they are therefore [translation] "stigmatized" (2024-01-17). The same source reported that members of society will search for the reason behind an individual's return and will want to know if they were involved in criminal activity abroad (Lawyer 2024-01-17). Similarly, the Director and the Independent Anthropologist stated that people will ask questions until they figure out who an individual is, who their family is connected to, and why they are back in Haiti (Director 2024-01-16; Independent Anthropologist 2024-01-16). The same sources indicated that returnees who have a criminal record but who are not detained are stigmatized by society (Director 2024-01-16; Independent Anthropologist 2024-01-16). They also indicated that the "fear and stigma" of individuals with criminal records is "severe" (Director 2024-01-16; Independent Anthropologist 2024-01-16).

The Lawyer stated that it is common to see returnees from the Dominican Republic because it happens so often; however, being deported from Canada or the US could be [translation] "very frowned upon" with the public (Lawyer 2024-01-17). The same source added that society perceives returnees from Canada and the US as individuals involved in crimes, illegal work, or financial crimes (Lawyer 2024-01-17). The Lawyer also noted that these individuals are perceived as people whose protection by Canada was [translation] "reconsidered" because they did not respect the principles and laws, or because they did not follow the required steps by the court (Lawyer 2024-01-17).

INURED stated that returnees are viewed "as failures on some level" (2024-01-18). The Officials stated that returnees are perceived as "burdens" by their families because they are unable to work (2024-01-11).

The Director and the Independent Anthropologist reported that returnees travelling from Port-au-Prince back to their local community are "seen" as bringing violence into the community (Director 2024-01-16; Independent Anthropologist 2024-01-16).

In an interview with the Research Directorate conducted in 2025, the Independent Anthropologist explained that a deportee faces a "much higher" risk of violence when the deportee is not recognized by the community they joined as one of their own, since the community is unwilling to protect people they consider to be "outsiders" (2025-07-15). According to the same source, communities "abandon" such deportees, whom they suspect of bringing violence, by subjecting them to "social isolation" or by targeting them through vigilante groups, which "sometimes" push the deportee to join criminal gangs (Independent Anthropologist 2025-07-15). NorthJersey.com, a US online media which is a part of the USA TODAY Network (NorthJersey.com n.d.), similarly indicates that deportees "have long been viewed by authorities and citizens as outsiders and are blamed for bringing crime and violence to Haiti," especially when the reason for deportation is criminal in nature (2025-03-12). The same source, citing an associate professor of anthropology at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire who researches Haiti, also notes that deportees face discrimination and "are at risk of social abandonment" if they do not have family or friends in Haiti (NorthJersey.com 2025-03-12). According to the same source, deportees face difficulties renting property or obtaining employment, which put them at "'greater risk'" of engaging in other risky activities, such as "'joining … gangs in Haiti'" (NorthJersey.com 2025-03-12).

In an interview with the Research Directorate conducted in 2025, the Officials noted that returnees may have to repay money to family members who advanced them money before their departure (2025-07-15). The same source added that if the person is unable to repay the money, there is [translation] "a high risk of being mistreated by all the persons they were supposed to reimburse," and this risk is "exacerbated" if they owe money to gang members, "which is often the case" (Officials 2025-07-15). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

2.2 Treatment by Criminal Groups

MPI reports that "gang violence and insecurity are significant contributors to Haitians' displacement" (2023-07-05). Sources indicate that gang violence has caused the internal displacement of 1,300,000 people across the country (Officials 2025-07-15; WLRN 2025-06-28). The Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect (GCR2P), an organization that advocates for populations at risk of "mass atrocity crimes" and conducts research on specific crises (GCR2P n.d.), states that around 300 criminal gangs are active in the country as of July 2025 and are responsible for at least 4,864 people killed, 1,597 injured and 775 kidnapped, mainly in Port-au-Prince and the Artibonite and Centre departments from 3 October 2024 to 30 June 2025 (2025-07-15). The UN Secretary-General reports that "at least" 5,601 people have been killed in 2024, which represents "over" 1,000 more than in 2023 (UN 2025-02-27a, 2).

When asked whether people returning to Haiti after living abroad are targeted by criminals, the Officials stated in 2024 that Haitian returnees are not specifically targeted by criminals because they lived abroad, and that it depends whether they are perceived as wealthy and how they were repatriated (Officials 2024-01-11). INURED reported that returnees are "not necessarily" targeted by criminals as it is understood they are unsuccessful return migrants who have "limited to no means" (2024-01-18). In the joint interview with the Research Directorate, the Independent Anthropologist noted in 2024 that anyone in the country who is wealthy will be a target (2024-01-16).

In interviews with the Research Directorate conducted in 2025, sources indicated that returnees still face the risk of being targeted by criminal groups; however, such risk is generalized to everyone living in Haiti (Officials 2025-07-15; Independent Anthropologist 2025-07-15).

2.2.1 Kidnapping

The Lawyer indicated that returnees are [translation] "primary targets" of criminal groups for kidnapping and ransom demands because they are suspected to be wealthy (2024-01-17). The same source stated that returnees are at risk of [translation] "being kidnapped, abducted, or murdered by members of criminal groups" (Lawyer 2024-01-17).

The Director and the Independent Anthropologist noted in 2024 that there is risk for kidnapping for anyone returning from the US because they are perceived to have sponsors in that country, leading to the perception of wealth (Director 2024-01-16; Independent Anthropologist 2024-01-16). Similarly, Human Rights Watch writes in 2022 that returnees are "at risk of kidnapping and extortion by criminal gangs," because they are perceived to "have money for travel or relatives abroad" and can afford to pay ransoms (2022-03-24). The 2025 Government of Canada travel advisory for Haiti reports that "[f]oreigners are viewed as wealthy and may arouse envy" and that "[k]idnappers target both local people and foreigners, including dual citizens who live or travel in Haiti, regardless of rank or social class" (Canada 2025-07-28). The Officials reported in 2024 that people who voluntarily return to Haiti typically have earnings which could lead to them being at risk of kidnappings as the diaspora is targeted by criminal groups (2024-01-11). The same source added that if anyone makes their wealth obvious, they can be exposed to an increased risk of kidnapping (Officials 2024-01-11).

In an interview with the Research Directorate conducted in 2025, sources stated that returnees may still be targeted by criminal groups for kidnapping with ransom demands (Officials 2025-07-15; Independent Anthropologist 2025-07-15). However, the Officials added that it is a generalized risk that is affecting everyone in Haiti (2025-07-15).

2.2.2 Gang Recruitment

A report by a UN panel of experts indicates that the criminal group 400 Mawozo, led by Germine Joly alias Yonyon, has deportees among its ranks (UN 2023-09-15, 50). According to the 2024 interview with the Independent Anthropologist, there are armed groups consisting of returnees who target other people who have returned (2024-01-16). The Director and the Independent Anthropologist noted in 2024 that returnees are "typically" targeted by gangs and are at risk of facing violence if they resist joining or participating in gang activities (Director 2024-01-16; Independent Anthropologist 2024-01-16). INURED specified that returned youth "may be easily" recruited into gangs due to limited opportunities for both undereducated and well-educated youth (2024-01-18).

In interviews with the Research Directorate conducted in 2025, sources noted that returnees still face the risk of being recruited by criminal gangs, but added that it is a generalized risk that anyone living in Haiti faced (Officials 2025-07-15; Independent Anthropologist 2025-07-15). According to the Officials, youth and lack of financial means are among the main factors that can lead returnees to join gangs as most young deportees are [translation] "easily influenced," and often return with little or no means of subsistence, making the financial gains offered by gangs attractive (2025-07-15). Without providing further detail, the same source added that young deportees with [translation] "certain skills" sought by gangs can be offered around 10,000 US dollars (Officials 2025-07-15). The Independent Anthropologist indicated in 2025 that returnees and deportees are pushed towards gang recruitment to protect themselves when their community considers them as "outsiders" (2025-07-15).

2.3 Treatment by Civilian Self-Defence Groups

The Officials stated in 2024 that deportees lack identity documentation, which places them at a "very high risk" to killings from self-organized defence groups, such as Bwa Kale [6], who offer security to villages and routes (Officials 2024-01-11). Similarly, the Director and the Independent Anthropologist reported in 2024 that returnees may fall victim to vigilante groups who are protecting communities from violence (Director 2024-01-16; Independent Anthropologist 2024-01-16). The Independent Anthropologist explained in 2025 that returnees and deportees considered to be outsiders by their communities are targeted by vigilante groups, because they "are generally" suspected of being criminal gang members (2025-07-15). NorthJersey.com similarly indicates that vigilante self-defence groups do not want the deportees in their neighbourhoods (2025-03-12).

2.4 Treatment by Authorities

According to the US Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights for 2023, civil society and human rights organizations indicates that deportees were detained upon returning to Haiti without committing a crime in Haiti (US 2024-04-22, 7). The same source adds that repatriated citizens were "held illegally by government officials, who sought to secure bribes in exchange for their release" (US 2024-04-22, 7-8). Similarly, the Director and the Independent Anthropologist reported in 2024 that kidnapping for ransom occurs in the prison system, and that families of returnees were charged "an exorbitant ransom" for the release of their family member in prison by the authorities (Director 2024-01-16; Independent Anthropologist 2024-01-16). According to the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti (IJDH), a Haitian human rights non-profit organization based in the US (IJDH n.d.), as of 2023, returnees who have a criminal record abroad "continue to be distinctly at risk" in Haiti (IJDH 2023-12, 11). The same source provides the example of a group of 17 individuals who spent some time in US prisons and were detained in Haiti for 2 days upon their return, "without access to food, water, medical care, or sleeping mats" (IJDH 2023-12, 11). Similarly, the Director and the Independent Anthropologist reported that in 2022-2023, returnees were placed into the national penitentiary and harmed in prison and that "most" but "potentially not all of them" had a criminal record in the US (Director 2024-01-16; Independent Anthropologist 2024-01-16). The same sources indicated that returnees are put into detention "for no reason," not charged for a crime, and held for ransom money by the state (Director 2024-01-16; Independent Anthropologist 2024-01-16).

In an interview with the Research Directorate conducted in 2025, the Officials indicated that persons deported from the US are subjected to [translation] "a little deeper" security screening upon their arrival even when they do not have a criminal background; whether they have a criminal background or not is specified in their documents (2025-07-15). According to the same source, such screening is often performed while the individual is under arrest or in detention for a period between 48 and 72 hours (Officials 2025-07-15). The Haitian Times, an online news source focused on Haiti and Haitian-Americans (The Haitian Times n.d.), reports that 21 Haitians deported from the US, including 12 who had been convicted of crimes in the US, were kept in custody for "extensive screening" by the Haitian National Police (Police nationale d’Haïti, PNH) after their arrival under suspicion of gang affiliations or false identities (2025-02-07). According to the same source, authorities have declared that "they will continue assessing the deportees' status as part of ongoing security operations" (The Haitian Times 2025-02-07). NorthJersey.com notes that deportees say they have been "[t]argeted by police" and "imprisoned without charge" (2025-03-12).

3. Additional Factors Affecting Reintegration

In correspondence with the Research Directorate, INURED stated that youth returnees are "quite vulnerable" due to a lack of employment opportunities, which "may propel them" into criminal activities such as joining gangs, stealing, corruption, prostitution, and exploitation of others (2024-01-18).

In the joint interview conducted in 2024, the Director and the Independent Anthropologist reported that wealth, social network, sexual orientation and political involvement or engagement are factors that would facilitate or worsen an individual's return to the country (Director 2024-01-16; Independent Anthropologist 2024-01-16). According to the Lawyer, someone who is educated, who has a strong family network, who has maintained contact with their parents, and has financial investments in Haiti has a [translation] "possibility" of returning and settling (2024-01-17). The same source noted that it would be [translation] "very difficult" to reintegrate in Haiti if someone is poor, not educated, does not have a family network or their sexual orientation or gender identity does not conform to social norms acceptable by Haiti (Lawyer 2024-01-17).

The Officials reported in 2024 that returnees with diverse sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) face "significant" stigmatization and risks in Haiti (2024-01-11). Similarly, the Director and the Independent Anthropologist indicated in 2024 that SOGIESC individuals, "especially those perceived to be SOGIESC," face stigma and cannot find housing or stay with family because of the "extraordinary" potential for violence by gangs and neighbours, which puts their families in danger (Director 2024-01-16; Independent Anthropologist 2024-01-16).

The Officials stated in 2024 that while wealth can help with reintegration into society, individuals with a higher financial status are bigger targets (Officials 2024-01-11). The same source also noted that returnees who have been absent for a long time might not have the "coping mechanisms" necessary to reintegrate into society, as the situation in Haiti was "much more secure" before their departure, and "many" people who return no longer have connections with family or are no longer able to speak French or Creole (2024-01-11).

According to the UN Human Rights Council, female deportees are "exposed to a significant risk of sexual exploitation and abuse" (UN 2023-09-25, para. 51). The Director and the Independent Anthropologist noted in 2024 that women returning to Haiti are "potentially at risk" of sexual exploitation because they are economically vulnerable (Director 2024-01-16; Independent Anthropologist 2024-01-16). The same sources reported that adolescent girls and women who are "economically compromised" can be "exploit[ed]" for "transactional sex" for passports or rent (Director 2024-01-16; Independent Anthropologist 2024-01-16). For more information on sexual and gender-based violence in Haiti, see Response to Information request HTI201783 of February 2024.

According to the Director and the Independent Anthropologist, individuals who left Haiti for safety concerns because they were "targeted or persecuted" will return to face the exact same threat of harm because those threats are still active, as of 2024, even after a number of years (Director 2024-01-16; Independent Anthropologist 2024-01-16). Similarly, INURED stated that returnees who left Haiti because of political persecution "may" face reprisals towards them and "possibly" toward their family members upon their return (2024-01-18).

4. Treatment of Family Members

Sources indicated in 2024 that family members of returnees are confronted with the same risks as returnees in relation to kidnapping (Director 2024-01-16; Independent Anthropologist 2024-01-16; Lawyer 2024-01-17) and the Lawyer further stated that they face the same risk of kidnapping or murder from members of criminal groups as returnees do (2024-01-17). In correspondence with the Research Director, INURED stated that if the family has a debt from facilitating the migration of their family member, and the family member returns, the unsuccessful travel will signal to the debtor that they will not recoup their loan which may result in reprisals (INURED 2024-01-18). The Director and the Independent Anthropologist noted in 2024 that families of returnees face "extreme economic hardship" because they have pooled money with friends and the community or made "major sacrifices," such as selling land or livestock, for their family member to travel (Director 2024-01-16; Independent Anthropologist 2024-01-16).

The Director and the Independent Anthropologist stated in 2024 that the "severe" "stigma and fear" of individuals with a criminal record could put the family of a returnee at "risk" (Director 2024-01-16; Independent Anthropologist 2024-01-16).

5. State Protection

According to sources, the government does not offer programs (Human Rights Watch 2023-01-12) or there is an "absence of any support" (INURED 2024-01-18) for the reintegration of returnees in Haiti (Human Rights Watch 2023-01-12; INURED 2024-01-18). The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in a February 2023 statement provided the following:

With entire communities effectively held hostage by gangs, State social services are largely absent. While non-governmental organisations and UN agencies are working to provide much needed aid, so-called "foundations" in these neighbourhoods are often used by gangs to exert control.

…

The lack of resources and personnel in the police force, coupled with chronic corruption and a weak judicial system mean that impunity has been a core problem for decades now.

…

Rampant corruption is a barrier to the realization of economic, social rights, further undermines already fragile institutions, including the judiciary and the police, and is deeply corrosive in every aspect of the daily lives of the Haitian people. (UN 2023-02-10)

A press release published in February 2025 by the UN Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) indicates that there is "limited welfare, there is almost no presence of the State," that everything is lacking, "from water to food", and adds that "gangs have filled this void" (UN 2025-02-27b).

A 2022 Human Rights Watch report based on a visit conducted in December 2021 indicates that "[r]eturns to Haiti are life-threatening now, and will continue to be so, until security conditions in Haiti improve" (2022-03-24). The 2025 Government of Canada travel advisory states that "[p]olice presence is not guaranteed" in several areas of greater Port-au-Prince (2025-07-28). According to MPI, "police are weak, lacking officers and equipment, leaving the population at the gangs' mercy" (2023-07-05). The same source reports that "[w]hat government does exist has been plagued by rampant corruption" (MPI 2023-07-05). INURED reported that the government has "limited political will" to assist Haitian migrants and returnees (2024-01-18). The Lawyer indicated that the government does not have the resources or the policies to assist returnees, [translation] "especially" those arriving from Canada and the US (2024-01-17).

According to the Officials, the official government agency responsible to assist migrants is the National Office of Migration (Office national de la migration, ONM) (2024-01-11). Media sources report that Haitians deported from the US in July 2025 have been welcomed by IOM and ONM with [translation] "basic" administrative support (IciHaiti 2025-07-17; VBI 2025-07-16). The Officials noted in 2024 that the financial resources of ONM are limited, and they can offer very little assistance (2024-01-11). Similarly, the Lawyer stated that repatriated Haitians from the US or Canada receive [translation] "very little" assistance (2024-01-17). Sources reported that, upon arrival in Haiti, the ONM meets migrants and provides them with a small amount of funds to travel home (Lawyer 2024-01-17; INURED 2024-01-18). In an interview that took place in 2025, the Officials noted that the ONM provides 5,000 Haitian gourdes (HTG) [C$52.15] exclusively to deportees and [translation] "vulnerable" returnees on their arrival and that the IOM provides the same amount to the same categories of persons (2025-07-15). However, the Independent Anthropologist indicated that ONM does not have its "own capacity" to help returnees as it is financially supported by IOM (2025-07-15). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

Sources indicated in 2024 that protection is ["extremely" (Officials 2024-01-11)] limited (Officials 2024-01-11; INURED 2024-01-18) or [translation] "non-existent" in Haiti (Lawyer 2024-01-17). In the joint interview with the Research Directorate, the Director and the Independent Anthropologist reported that there is "absolutely no protection whatsoever" for returnees and that the State cannot "ensure their safety" (Director 2024-01-16; Independent Anthropologist 2024-01-16). The same sources added that the state "cannot handle transportation" for returnees to return to their communities (Director 2024-01-16; Independent Anthropologist 2024-01-16).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Notes

[1] The Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a program under which the US Secretary of Homeland Security designates a foreign country "due to conditions in the country that temporarily prevent the country's nationals from returning safely, or in certain circumstances, where the country is unable to handle the return of its nationals adequately" (US 2025-07-22).

[2] Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) is non-profit community organization that "advocates for fair and humane immigration policies" and offers "humanitarian, legal, and social services" to migrants and immigrants, "with a particular focus on Black people, the Haitian community, women and girls, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and survivors of torture and other human rights abuses" (HBA n.d.).

[3] Défenseurs Plus is a non-profit collective defending human rights in Haiti "to achieve a true democratic rule of law" (Défenseurs Plus n.d.).

[4] The International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Haiti provides "humanitarian assistance to migrants, including Internally displaced persons (IDPs) and repatriated migrants and by strengthening state capacities" in partnership with the government of Haiti and NGOs (UN n.d.).

[5] Interuniversity Institute for Research and Development (INURED) is a research institute based in Port-au-Prince that "contribute[s] to the development of high-level research and scientific training in Haiti with the aim of improving the educational, socioeconomic, and political conditions of Haiti's people" (INURED 2024-01-18).

[6] Bwa Kale or "'peeled wood'" in Haitian Creole refers to vigilante groups or a self-defence movement; the expression dates back to 2022 during the protests against the Prime Minister Ariel Henry, and became used to designate a people initiative to fight gangs and prevent them from taking control of their neighbourhood (Crisis Group 2023-07-03).

References

Associated Press (AP). 2025-07-02. "Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration from Ending Temporary Legal Status for Many Haitians." [Accessed 2025-07-28]

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). 2025-02-21. Alex Loftus. "Trump Ends Deportation Protection for 500,000 Haitians." [Accessed 2025-07-24]

Canada. 2025-07-28. Global Affairs Canada. "Haiti Travel Advice." Travel.gc.ca. [Accessed 2025-07-30]

CBS News. 2025-07-02. Joe Walsh. "Judge Says Trump Administration Can't End Protected Status for Haitian Migrants this Year." [Accessed 2025-07-24]

Défenseurs Plus. N.d. "Who We Are?" [Accessed 2025-07-30]

Director, Haiti program, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC). 2025-07-09. Interview with the Research Directorate.

Director, Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA). 2024-01-16. Joint interview with the Research Directorate.

France. 2025-07-02. Ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères. "Entrée et sortie du territoire haïtien." Conseils aux voyageurs. [Accessed 2025-07-03]

Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect (GCR2P). 2025-07-15. "Haiti." Populations at Risk. [Accessed 2025-07-18]

Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect (GCR2P). N.d. "About Us." [Accessed 2025-07-18]

Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA). N.d. "About Us." [Accessed 2025-07-30]

The Haitian Times. 2025-07-21. "Haitian TPS Extended to February after Federal Court Ruling." [Accessed 2025-07-28]

The Haitian Times. 2025-02-07. Onz Chéry. "21 Deportees Held in Haitian Police Custody over Suspected Gang Ties and Fake Identities to Enter U.S.." [Accessed 2025-07-24]

The Haitian Times. 2025-02-05. Juhakenson Blaise. "First Group of 21 Deportees under Trump Arrives in Haiti." [Accessed 2025-07-24]

The Haitian Times. N.d. "About the Haitian Times." [Accessed 2025-08-08]

Human Rights Watch. 2023-01-12. "Haiti." World Report 2023: Events of 2022. [Accessed 2025-07-30]

Human Rights Watch. 2022-03-24. "Haitians Being Returned to a Country in Chaos: Humanitarian, Security Crisis Makes Deportations Unsafe." [Accessed 2025-07-30]

IciHaiti. 2025-07-17. "USA : 109 Haïtiens rapatriés à Port-au-Prince." [Accessed 2025-07-18]

Independent Anthropologist. 2025-07-15. Interview with the Research Directorate.

Independent Anthropologist. 2024-01-16. Joint interview with the Research Directorate.

Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti (IJDH). 2023-12. Human Rights and the Rule of Law in Haiti: Key Recent Developments. June through November 2023. [Accessed 2025-07-30]

Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti (IJDH). N.d. "About Us." [Accessed 2025-07-30]

International Crisis Group (Crisis Group). 2023-07-03. Diego Da Rin. "Haitians Turn to Mob Justice as the Gang Threat Festers." [Accessed 2025-07-24]

Interuniversity Institute for Research and Development (INURED). 2024-01-18. Correspondence from the Chancellor to the Research Directorate.

Lawyer, Co-Director of Défenseurs Plus. 2024-01-17. Interview with the Research Directorate.

Miami Herald. 2025-06-25. Jacqueline Charles & Syra Ortiz Blanes. "After Labeling Transfers to Guantánamo as 'Fake News,' Trump Deports Haitians from There." [Accessed 2025-07-24]

Miami Herald. 2024-11-01. Jacqueline Charles & Syra Ortiz Blanes. "U.S. Deportation Flight Lands in Haiti Amid Spreading Violence, Attack on Catholic Nuns." [Accessed 2025-07-10]

Migration Policy Institute (MPI). 2023-07-05. Emmanuela Douyon. "Haitians Flee a Nation Nearing Collapse." [Accessed 2025-07-30]

Migration Policy Institute (MPI). N.d. "About the Migration Policy Institute." [Accessed 2025-07-30]

National Broadcasting Company (NBC). 2025-07-01. Curtis Bunn & Erika Angulo. "Haitians Face Deportation to a Country Devastated by Violence and Famine." [Accessed 2025-07-24]

NorthJersey.com. 2025-03-12. Hannan Adely. "Imprisonment, Murder, Extortion: Why U.S. Deportees to Haiti Are Being Targeted by Gangs." [Accessed 2025-07-10]

NorthJersey.com. N.d. "Newsroom Directory." [Accessed 2025-07-10]

Officials. 2025-07-15. UN International Organization for Migration (IOM). Interview with the Research Directorate.

Officials. 2024-01-11. UN International Organization for Migration (IOM). Interview with the Research Directorate.

United Nations (UN). 2025-07-28. International Organization for Migration (IOM). "Statistiques sur les personnes déportées en Haïti depuis 2021." [Accessed 2025-07-28]

United Nations (UN). 2025-02-27a. Secretariat. Letter Dated 24 February 2025 from the Secretary-General Addressed to the President of the Security Council. (S/2025/122) [Accessed 2025-07-24]

United Nations (UN). 2025-02-27b. Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR). "Haiti: Immediate Action Is Needed to Address the Human Rights Crisis." [Accessed 2025-07-28]

United Nations (UN). 2025-01-07. Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR). "Haiti: Over 5,600 Killed in Gang Violence in 2024, UN Figures Show." [Accessed 2025-07-24]

United Nations (UN). 2023-09-25. Human Rights Council. Situation of Human Rights in Haiti. (A/HRC/54/79) [Accessed 2025-07-30]

United Nations (UN). 2023-09-15. Security Council. Final Report of the Panel of Experts on Haiti Submitted Pursuant to Resolution 2653 (2022). (S/2023/674) [Accessed 2025-07-30]

United Nations (UN). 2023-02-10. Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR). "UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk Concludes his Official Visit to Haiti." [Accessed 2025-07-30]

United Nations (UN). N.d. International Organization for Migration (IOM). "IOM in Haiti." [Accessed 2025-07-30]

United States (US). 2025-07-22. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). "Temporary Protected Status." [Accessed 2025-07-24]

United States (US). 2025-07-01. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). "Termination of the Designation of Haiti for Temporary Protected Status." Federal Register. Vol. 90, No. 124. [Accessed 2025-07-24]

United States (US). 2024-04-22. Department of State. "Haiti." Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2023. [Accessed 2025-07-30]

Vant Bèf Info (VBI). 2025-07-16. Mederson Alcindor. "Hervé Laplante 'Laplanta' et plus de 100 Haïtiens rapatriés des États-Unis." [Accessed 2025-07-18]

WLRN. 2025-06-28. Sergio Bustos. "DHS Announces Termination of TPS for 500,000 Haitian Immigrants in Early September." [Accessed 2025-07-24]

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Action citoyenne pour abolition de la torture; Bureau des droits humains en Haïti; Centre de recherche et de formation économique et sociale pour le développement; Centre justice et foi; Groupe d'appui aux rapatriés et réfugiés; Haiti – Office national de la migration, Office de la protection du citoyen; Initiative citoyenne pour les droits de l'homme; Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti; Plate-forme des organisations haïtiennes des droits humains; Réseau national de défense des droits humains; UN – Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights for Haiti.

Internet sites, including: Al Jazeera; Amnesty International; Austrian Red Cross – Austrian Center for Country of Origin & Asylum Research and Documentation, ecoi.net; Axios; Belgium – Commissariat général aux réfugiés et aux apatrides; CARICOM; Center for Strategic and International Studies; France – Office français de protection des réfugiés et apatrides; France 24; Freedom House; The Guardian; Gazette Haiti; Haiti – Office national de la migration; Haïti en Marche; Haiti Inter; HaitiLibre; Haïti Progrès; Haïti Standard; Hebdo24; The Hill; InSight Crime; Médecins du monde; Médecins sans frontière; National Public Radio; The New York Times; Le Nouvelliste; Organization of American States; Reporters sans frontières; Réseau national de défense des droits humains; Reuters; Toronto Star; TripFoumi Enfo; TV5Monde; UN – Integrated Office in Haiti; US – Agency for International Development; Washington Office on Latin America.