US President Donald Trump's administration plans to deport a group of Iranians and other migrants to the Central African Republic (CAR), which has been plagued by violence and poverty for years. Reuters reported this on June 11, citing lawyers and an American official.
According to the agency's interlocutors, the first flight to the CAR under this agreement could take off on June 11 and transport about 20 people, including citizens of Iran, Syria and Afghanistan. A Turkish citizen who fled to the United States from political persecution could also be on board, the newspaper writes.
One of the lawyers told reporters that among the migrants there are two women from Iran who, if forced back to their homeland, could face torture and persecution. According to her, one of them is a Christian who changed her faith, the other is a pro-democracy activist.
“Precisely when the United States promises the Iranian people freedom and support in their fight against the Islamic Republic, it is sending Iranian asylum seekers who fled that regime to their doom,” said Ali Rahnama, interim legal director of the Iran-American Legal Defense Fund.
In total, hundreds of migrants could be deported to Africa as part of this agreement. According to the American official, they plan to house them in apartments in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, and also provide humanitarian assistance after arrival.
According to Reuters, the Trump administration is using deportation agreements to third countries to expel people the United States cannot legally return to their home countries. Washington calls such agreements legal, but human rights activists criticize them because of their lack of transparency and the risk of further repatriation of deportees.
