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The Dominican Republic has carried out mass deportations of irregular Haitian migrants—379,553 in 2025 alone and over 67,000 more in early 2026—to shield its relative stability from the spillover of neighboring Haiti's collapse. Sharing Hispaniola, the stark contrasts are clear: Haiti faces extreme violence (homicide rate ~41–68 per 100k), poverty (GDP per capita ~$2,000), and low literacy (~61–68%), while the DR maintains much lower crime (~9–11 per 100k), higher development (GDP per capita ~$11,500+), and stronger institutions (~94% literacy). Dominican officials and citizens point to resulting strains like crime, overburdened services, job competition, and border chaos as the core reasons for the policy, which enjoys strong domestic backing rooted in historical and socioeconomic differences.