Haitians fleeing poverty, violence, and insecurity in search of a better life often cross the border to the Dominican Republic. For many, the journey ends in calamity. Dominican immigration officials subject Haitian migrants to arbitrary imprisonment, abuse, and deportation, leaving them with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
In that place of despair, UUSC Partner Groupe d’Appui aux Rapatriés et Refugiés (GARR) cultivates hope. For over three decades, GARR has provided support for returning Haitian nationals who have been forcibly displaced. GARR provides essential aid to those who have been cast out and left to fend for themselves. This organization ensures that people not only plant their lives on fertile ground but that they have a genuine chance to grow and thrive.
Beyond essentials like food and shelter, GARR offers a chance for people to find safety with dignity. At their center in the Beladère commune, GARR provides meals, housing, sanitary kits, and transportation to help people in migration return home. Then, their work goes beyond immediate relief. GARR also offers psychological and social support to help migrants process the trauma of their experiences.
GARR’s partnership with UUSC has been instrumental in expanding their reach. In 2024 alone, with the assistance of UUSC and other partners, GARR provided over 16,000 people in migration with the resources they needed to rebuild their lives. Beyond the numbers, it is the personal narratives that underscore the impact of GARR’s work. Families reconnect and locate their relatives with GARR’s help. It is these moments of reunion and hope that fuel GARR’s ongoing fight for justice and dignity for all people in migration.
That fight includes state advocacy. GARR worked with the Inter-American Court to hold Dominican soldiers accountable for the shooting of Haitian migrants in 2005. The court’s ruling in favor of the victims, resulting in a $927,000 fine against the Dominican state, was a landmark victory for human rights.
But the fight for permanent freedom and security for displaced Haitian families is far from over. GARR continues to advocate for the protection and promotion of migrants’ rights, from ensuring access to identity documents to fighting human trafficking. Their vision is clear: a world where people who have been forced to migrate are treated with the same dignity and respect as any other human being. GARR’s Coordinator, Katia Bonté, emphasizes, “A migrant is a person like everyone else.”
Haitian migrants set out to root their lives in new soil, only to find that harvesting the fruits of their labor is a hard-fought process. Yet, no matter the challenges, GARR is there every step of the way. UUSC is proud to partner with GARR in this vital work, nourishing the growth of those who have been marginalized, persecuted, and cast aside.
This season, we’re asking our members and supporters to contribute to UUSC so that we can continue planting seeds of justice together. Together with partners like GARR, we are building a world where every person has a rich, fruitful place to grow.
