Migration Jurisprudence from the South › Dominican Republic
Nadège Dorzema et al. v. Dominican Republic
Inter-American Court of Human Rights · Dominican Republic · 2012-10-24 · Regional court or body
Citation: Series C No. 251
Type of case: Constitutional and human rights
Outcome: Decided for the migrant side
Question
Was the State responsible for soldiers’ use of force against a truck carrying Haitian migrants, and for expelling the survivors?
What the court decided
Yes. The force was excessive, the survivors were expelled collectively without individual assessment, and the acts took place in a context of discrimination against Haitians.
In plain language
Soldiers fired on a truck carrying Haitian migrants near the border, killing seven people. Survivors were sent back to Haiti without any hearing. The Inter-American Court said the Dominican Republic violated their rights and must not expel migrants as a group.
Dalam bahasa sederhana
Tentara menembaki truk yang membawa migran Haiti di dekat perbatasan, menewaskan tujuh orang. Korban selamat dipulangkan ke Haiti tanpa pemeriksaan. Pengadilan HAM Antar-Amerika menyatakan Republik Dominika melanggar hak mereka dan tidak boleh mengusir migran secara berkelompok.
Pertanyaan: Apakah negara bertanggung jawab atas penggunaan kekerasan oleh tentara terhadap truk yang membawa migran Haiti, dan atas pengusiran para korban yang selamat?
What happened afterwards
- 2000-06: Shooting near the border.
- 2012-10-24: Violations found.
- later: [Check compliance resolutions.]
Sources
Open this decision in the interactive collection (compare, filter, Indonesian view, downloads).
Cite as: Institute for Migrant Rights (2026), Migration Jurisprudence from the South, version 0.1, https://theimr.org/court-decisions/d/dorzema-2012/. This page summarizes a court decision for research and advocacy; it is not legal advice.