The Trump administration is planning to send several Iranian migrants, along with other asylum seekers, to the Central African Republic. The move comes as the violence- and poverty-stricken African nation has recently agreed to accept deportees from the US as a 'third country'. Two US lawyers familiar with the matter and a US official have confirmed this to Reuters.
The list includes two women who face potential torture and persecution if returned to Iran. One is a Christian convert, and the other is a pro-democracy activist, according to their lawyer, Emily Trostle.
The US State Department and the office of the Central African Republic's president have not immediately commented on the matter. However, the Central African Republic has recently agreed to accept deportees from the US as a 'third country'.
Trostle stated that the two women were detained shortly after arriving in the US in November 2024. They applied for asylum and received a form of protection known as 'withholding of removal' from a US immigration court.
This protection means the court believes there is more than a 50% chance they would face persecution or torture if returned to Iran.
An official aware of the situation said the first flight under this agreement would carry about 20 people to the Central African Republic, including citizens of Syria and Afghanistan. The flight was scheduled for Thursday, according to two lawyers.
The lawyer of a Turkish citizen, who fled political persecution and received similar protection, said he might also be on the flight. The lawyer chose to remain anonymous.
The Trump administration has previously made 'third country' deportation agreements with neighboring countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is currently dealing with an Ebola outbreak. These agreements target migrants who cannot be returned to their home countries due to legal complexities.
Washington claims these agreements are legal, but human rights organizations and lawyers argue that the details of the agreements are still unclear, and many deportees may ultimately be returned to their home countries.
An official familiar with the matter said deportees would be placed in various apartments in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, and would not be immediately returned to their home countries. The agreement could lead to the deportation of hundreds of migrants in phases.
The US Department of Homeland Security stated last week that proper legal procedures would be followed in deporting individuals.
A spokesperson for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said the organization would provide 'humanitarian assistance upon arrival' to migrants sent to Bangui at the request of the Central African government. However, the IOM is not involved in the deportation process and will provide this assistance voluntarily, adhering to international standards.
The US has allocated $85 million to the IOM this year for operations in the Central African Republic.
Since gaining independence from France in 1960, the Central African Republic has experienced repeated instability. Most of its 5.5 million people still live in poverty.
Central African Republic President Faustin-Archange Touadéra signed peace agreements with several rebel groups last year. Other groups have been weakened by confrontations with Russian mercenaries, Rwandan soldiers, and UN peacekeepers deployed to support Touadéra's government.
