Nearly 200,000 people were forcibly returned to Haiti in the first eight months of 2026, according to a United Nations official who briefed the Security Council.

Indrika Ratwatte, the acting assistant secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, told an emergency meeting on August 28 that the total was at least 20,000 higher than during the same period last year. The returns come primarily from the United States, the Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas.

The announcement followed a brutal gang attack in the Kenscoff area near Port-au-Prince that killed 47 people, including five children, on August 24. Gang members set houses on fire and targeted people sheltering in a church.

Deportations from the United States have increased after the Trump administration ended Temporary Protected Status for Haitian nationals. The Supreme Court upheld the termination in June, clearing the way for removals. The first U.S. deportation flight since the policy change arrived earlier in August, followed by additional flights carrying dozens of individuals, some with criminal records including gang affiliations and sex offenses involving minors.

Haitian authorities and international organizations have noted the challenges of reintegrating returnees amid ongoing gang violence that has displaced 1.5 million people. Many deportees arrive without documentation or support networks.

U.S. officials have emphasized enforcement of immigration laws and the temporary nature of protected status programs. Weekly flights are planned to continue as authorities process cases of individuals whose legal protections have expired.