“They sometimes arrive after wandering for five or six days, with no food or water,” explains Bertina Polyte, a nurse overseeing the medical triage at the health post set up in Anse-à-Pitres, a town along Haiti’s southeastern border with the Dominican Republic.
Every day, Bertina and her colleague Jean-Edens, a psychologist, admit people who have just crossed the border after difficult journeys. The care provided by ALIMA’s team offers these individuals some relief after the hardship of being deported.
In 2025, over 265,000 Haitians were deported from the Dominican Republic and sent back to their country.. The two countries share the island of Hispaniola, but their relationship has been marked by decades of migration-related tensions.
Since late 2024, Dominican authorities have intensified deportation operations targeting Haitian nationals, many of whom have worked in sugar plantations (“bateyes”) for generations.
Among those deported are pregnant women lacking prenatal care, children who have been separated from their parents, and individuals with chronic illnesses whose treatments were abruptly interrupted.
Many have never lived in Haiti, and some do not even speak Creole, the country’s language. All arrive without resources or support networks, in a country facing a deep crisis and struggling to provide basic healthcare to its own population.
Between 2024 and 2025, the number of deportees entering through Anse-à-Pitres surged by 96%.
A critical situation for deported people
“The situation is extremely critical,” Bertina explains, as she treats people suffering from injuries, exhaustion, and trauma. One day, she may be caring for a father and his four children, including an infant, who has nothing left. Another day, she may see pregnant woman whose C-section wound tore open and became infected during her journey. Other patients suffer from chronic illnesses whose treatments were suddenly stopped during detention.
Children are among the most vulnerable. Some arrive after being separated from their parents, without identification, and unable to speak Creole. Others show signs of severe malnutrition.
Bertina has been deeply affected by the stories shared within the walls of her office: “We must see beyond the statistics,” she insists. “These are human beings who were deported without resources and without having had the chance to prepare for their departure.”
The young Haitian nurse is the first point of contact for patients. “I provide first aid. Those in critical condition are referred to the Anse-à-Pitres Hospital Center (CHAAP), just a few meters from the border,” she explains.
Treating bodies, helping with trauma
Working alongside Bertina since January 2026, Jean-Edens organizes support groups. ALIMA’s psychologist creates a space where emotions can be expressed freely ,then identifies those in need of follow-up care. “Having a psychologist to talk to, to express their feelings, helps them regain some emotional stability, without judgment or discrimination,” he explains.
The accounts he hears bear witness to extreme violence: “rape, sexual assault, people suffering from depression and anxiety because of their situation,” he adds.
He recalls one particular young teenage girl who had been deported and raped. She had no family in the area and no one she could turn to.
“She no longer wanted to live,” he shared.
Helping her required a step-by-step approach and finding an appropriate referral in a system with limited resources.
Beyond individual emergencies, the entire region is under strain.
A hospital providing care despite migration pressure
The Anse-à-Pitres Hospital Center (CHAAP), located just minutes from the border, is among the first to receive Haitians arriving after deportation.
“Many arrive with medical problems, and the responsibility falls on us,” says Dr. Denis, fully aware of the limits of the hospital he has led since July 2025. “I remember one patient who had surgery in the neighboring country and arrived here with a wide-open wound. We had to treat him here.”
With limited staff and medical resources, the hospital is struggling to meet the increased demand. Until recently, just two midwives and one gynecologist were responsible for caring for a population of tens of thousands of people.
Since July 2025, ALIMA has been supporting CHAAP by strengthening its maternity and pediatric services and providing equipment and specialized teams. According to Dr. Denis, this support has also helped restore something essential: “community trust in the healthcare system.”
In southeastern Haiti, mass deportations, poverty, and the fragility of the healthcare system are creating an increasingly complex humanitarian situation. At the border, medical care and psychological support are often the first step in helping deported individuals regain stability after their forced return.
This project is made possible through humanitarian funding from the European Union.
Photo credits: © Woo-Jerry Mathurin / ALIMA
