The Dominican Republic's President Luis Abinador announced Feb. 27 that work will begin this year on a wall along the country's 376-kilometer border with Haiti. "Within two years we want to end the serious problems of illegal immigration, drug-trafficking and the transport of stolen vehicles that we've suffered from for two years," said Abinader. Two weeks earlier, Abinader and his Haitian counterpart Jovenel Moise signed an agreement that included a commitment to take measures against "the wave of illegal migration" and to "reinforce border security and vigilance." (AFP)

In January 2019, Dominican authorities started erecting a section of fence along the Haitian border at El Carrizal, Elías Piña province. But this sparked angry protests by Haitian immigrants living in the area, who threw stones at troops and erected barricades of flaming tires to block construction equipment. One protester was killed in clashes with security forces. (Dominican Today)

Some half million Haitians live in the Dominican Republic, with a population of 10.5 million, and have faced growing persecution in recent years.