The Central African Republic has agreed to accept migrants deported from the U.S. who aren’t CAR nationals, two sources told Reuters. It’s the latest deal in a Trump administration push to speed up removals by sending people to African countries instead of their home countries.
Washington has made similar arrangements with DRC, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea. Rights groups argue the “third-country” deals let the U.S. bypass immigration court protections that blocked deportation to the migrants’ home countries.
The CAR deal was discussed May 18 in Bangui with U.S. State Dept official Christian Jové Ehrhardt, a CAR government official said. Neither side gave details on how many people, which nationalities, or when flights start. But a U.S. court filing shows officials already planned to send a Turkish national there on May 26 before a judge blocked it.
The International Organization for Migration will help deportees after arrival, an IOM official confirmed. The U.S. gave IOM $85 million this year for CAR operations.
CAR has faced repeated conflict since 1960 and most of its 5.5 million people live in poverty. President Faustin-Archange Touadera, re-elected last December, relies on Russia for security but has also courted Western partners for minerals.
CAR’s presidency and the State Dept didn’t comment. Homeland Security said deportees get “full due process” and referred specifics to State.
