Abstract
The essay identifies some key economic factors behind the migration of Haitian agricultural workers to the Dominican Republic. Against the background of the deplorable working and living conditions facing the workers on their arrival, some economic theories of the migration decision are sketched and the characteristics of the Haitian workers, as they emerge from field studies, are presented. Thereafter the most important information with respect to rural poverty in Haiti is summarized and an explanation that runs in terms of the interaction between population growth and soil erosion is presented and the life-cycle aspects of poverty are highlighted. The essay concludes with an application of the Harris-Todaro model of migration to the empirical data.