US deportations to African countries unlawful and exploit suffering - rights group

October 8, 2026

Human Rights Watch has released a report condemning the US practice of deporting migrants to third-party African countries where they are not citizens, calling it unlawful and deliberately designed to cause suffering as a deterrent. Since President Trump's return to office in 2025, over 500 people have been sent to African nations including Eswatini, Ghana, Cameroon, and South Sudan, where many face arbitrary detention, mistreatment, and forced return to home countries where they risk persecution. The report documents particularly concerning cases, including LGBT individuals sent to countries criminalizing same-sex relations and refugees who had been granted US protection being deported anyway.

Who is affected

More than 500 migrants deported from the US to third-party African countries since 2025
Deportees sent to Eswatini, Ghana, South Sudan, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Central African Republic, and Democratic Republic of Congo
At least a dozen LGBT individuals sent to African states criminalizing same-sex relations
Refugees previously granted US protection based on persecution risks
15 people from Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador deported to DR Congo in April
Three people from Yemen, Belize, and Laos initially sent to Eswatini
A Nigerian man associated with a separatist activist group
24 third-country nationals interviewed by HRW across six countries

What action is being taken

The US is deporting migrants to third-party African countries where they are not citizens
Some African countries are arbitrarily detaining the deportees
Some countries are sending deportees onward to their home countries
Eswatini is facilitating voluntary departures of some deportees to their home countries
The White House is offering $3,000 checks and free flights to illegal aliens who want to return home voluntarily

Why it matters

This policy represents a significant shift in US deportation practices that raises serious human rights concerns. By sending migrants to third countries rather than their home nations, the US is creating a system that deliberately causes suffering to deter future migration, according to HRW. The practice violates international human rights law, particularly the principle of nonrefoulement, which prohibits sending people to places where they face torture or persecution. The policy is especially concerning because it affects vulnerable populations including LGBT individuals sent to countries where they could face criminal prosecution, and refugees who were previously granted protection in the US based on credible persecution fears. The secretive nature of these agreements and the conditions deportees face—including arbitrary detention, lack of medication, insufficient food and water during flights, and being "dumped" in unfamiliar countries—demonstrates a systematic disregard for human dignity and international legal obligations.

What's next

The White House states it will continue offering $3,000 checks and free flights to illegal aliens who want to voluntarily return home.

Read full article from source: BBC