US deportations to African countries unlawful and exploit suffering - rights group
Human Rights Watch has criticized the US policy of deporting migrants to third-party African countries, arguing it is unlawful and intended to exploit suffering. The report claims that many deportees face detention and potential persecution upon arrival in these nations.
Why it matters
The policy raises significant legal and ethical questions regarding international non-refoulement obligations and the treatment of asylum seekers.
Image source, Corbis via Getty Image Image caption, The US has been sending migrants who cannot be deported to their home nations to other countries instead
Campaign group Human Rights Watch (HRW) says the deportation of migrants from the US to third-party African countries is against the law and exploits suffering to deter migration.
"Many, if not most" of the deportees have no practical option but to return to their home countries regardless of the harm they face there, HRW says in a report.
Since Donald Trump returned to the White House in 2025, more than 500 people have been sent to African countries where they are not citizens, the group says, citing US data.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said "third country removals are an essential public safety tool that remove the most dangerous criminal illegal aliens from our streets".
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