What changed

B100413/2025

P10_TA(2025)0224

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the humanitarianHumanitarian and security situation in Haiti, in particular the rising power of criminal gangs and the recent massacre in Cabaret

(2025/2905(RSP))

PE776.250

European Parliament resolution of 9 October 2025 on the humanitarian and security situation in Haiti, in particular the rising power of criminal gangs and the recent massacre in Cabaret (2025/2905(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to RuleRules 150150(5) (5)and 136(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas on 11 September 2025, atin leasta 42brutal people,massacre includingin aLabodrie, 4-year-oldCabaret, child,the werecriminal killedgang incoalition Labodrie,Viv aAnsanm fishingkilled villageover north40 ofpeople, Port-au-Prince,including bychildren, athe criminalelderly gang;and even entire families;

B. whereas criminal gangs have grown in power since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021; whereas this has led to massive insecurity, kidnappings, and large-scale attacks on the police, politicians, journalists, hospitals and civilians;

B. whereas these gangs kill, kidnap, commit sexual violence and forcibly recruit children, acting with impunity due to the breakdown of the justice system; whereas state institutions, undermined by corruption, have largely collapsed; whereas gang violence has killed more than 16 000 people since 2022;

C. whereas since the Duvalier family’s dictatorship (1957-1986), Haiti’s political and economic elites have been using gangs for political ends; whereas drug trafficking became a significant source of income for Haiti’s elites who provided protection and logistical support for drug traffickers;

C. whereas these gangs have expanded their control, displacing over 1,3 million people; whereas half of the population faces acute food insecurity; whereas the collapse of education and healthcare systems in gang-controlled areas has obstructed humanitarian access;

D. whereas there has been a massive illegal migration of Haitians to the Dominican Republic; whereas from 2016 until April 2025, the Dominican Republic returned 1,177,813 illegal migrants;

D. whereas the UN’s humanitarian response plan remains critically underfunded; whereas USAID cuts have suspended vital humanitarian services and threaten support for UN missions;

E. whereas the EU has provided over 538 million EUR in humanitarian assistance to Haiti since 1994; whereas in February 2025, the EU disbursed 19.5 million EUR in budget support to Haiti, aimed at reinforcing the Haitian government’s capacity to deliver essential services;

E. whereas the Multinational Security Support Mission faces serious shortages; whereas on 30 September 2025, the UN Security Council approved the mission’s transition to the Gang Suppression Force;

F. whereas Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council (TPC) was set up in 2024 by the Organisation of American States to restore governance and democracy;

F. whereas the limited capacity of Haitian security forces and insufficient international support prevent the adequate protection of civilians;

Is deeply concerned that the expansion of gang territorial control is spreading violence and increasing transnational trafficking in arms and people;

G. whereas in 2024, nearly 200 000 people were deported to Haiti;

Is of the opinion that the current crisis in Haiti is a political-criminal crisis in which the use of large-scale violence is used by gangs to obtain or maintain a dominant position within Haiti’s political system and to position themselves as the de facto authority in many areas of the country;

1. Strongly condemns the Cabaret massacre and the alarming escalation of gang violence in Haiti;

Notes that the TPC is mired in internal conflict and corruption; considers the EU’s decision to provide budget support to Haiti a waste of taxpayer’s money;

2. Calls for justice reform to end impunity and ensure that all criminals are held accountable; calls for international support to rebuild judicial capacity;

Is deeply concerned that Haiti’s criminal-political crisis risks fueling further migration, straining governments in the region and deepening security challenges for the United States and other countries in the region;

3. Calls on all Haitian stakeholders to engage in dialogue to break the political deadlock, agree on a transitional roadmap and prevent the financing of armed groups and trafficking of weapons; supports the Caribbean Community and Common Market’s mediation efforts;

Strongly supports the Dominican Republic’s return policy of illegal immigrants;

4. Urges the EU and its Member States to support security, development and political transition in Haiti, and to meaningfully and urgently increase humanitarian aid – including food, healthcare and protection services – while establishing strict monitoring mechanisms and ensuring safe access for relief operations;

Notes that the international sanctions regime on Haiti is disorganised and uncoordinated;

5. Calls for the EU and its Member States to support enhancing the capacity of Haitian security forces and to ensure that the new Gang Suppression Force is properly staffed, funded and equipped to fulfil its mandate, with robust human rights and accountability safeguards;

Notes that the current UN peacekeeping mission has failed and that an expanded mission would likely be resisted within Haiti;

6. Calls for the EU and its Member States to continue imposing targeted sanctions against gang leaders and sponsors and to halt illicit arms flows into Haiti; calls on Haiti’s neighbouring countries and the international community to strengthen border controls and effectively enforce arms embargoes;

Calls on the actors and states in the region to coordinate more closely to choke off the resources sustaining gang power, thereby targeting illicit financial flows, combatting drugs and human trafficking, pursuing extraditions and prosecuting individuals;

7. Expresses grave concern regarding the situation of Haitian asylum seekers; calls on regional actors to play a constructive role in promoting stability, mediation and assistance for the Haitian people;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the European External Action Service, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Organisation of American States and the Transitional Presidential Council.

8. Strongly condemns systematic sexual violence against women and girls; demands action to abolish the Restavèk system; calls for support for survivors of sexual violence;

9. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the VP/HR, the Member States, the UN Secretary-General and the Haitian authorities.