Haiti and the Dominican Republic formally restored diplomatic relations on 17 April, with delegations from both foreign ministries meeting at their shared border after a rift that began in September 2023, when Santo Domingo closed the crossing in protest at Haiti's construction of a canal diverting water from the Massacre River. The two countries announced that airspace will reopen and flights resume next month — services that were suspended in March 2024 due to Haiti's deteriorating security situation — with a joint statement describing the move as a step to ease mobility, boost economic ties, and strengthen bilateral relations. The rapprochement comes as an international anti-gang force operates in Haiti and amid continued tensions over migration, with Dominican President Luis Abinader having pursued a hardline immigration policy that includes mass deportations, a visa suspension, and the construction of a border wall.