US Deportations to Africa Unlawful, Rights Group

Human Rights Watch has raised concerns about the US's deportation practices. Alleging that migrants are being sent to African countries without adequate regard for their safety and welfare. The organization suggests that a significant proportion of those being repatriated face significant harm in their home countries, with limited alternatives for mitigation.

Since Donald Trump returned to the White House in 2024, 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".

However, Human Rights Watch has gathered testimony from 24 individuals from six countries. This includes Cameroon, Eswatini, and South Sudan, which paints a starkly different picture.

Read More: Composer George Fenton Dies at 76, Leaving Behind a Legacy of Iconic Scores

According to HRW, some of the countries accepting the deportees have "arbitrarily detained" or sent them to their home countries, where they face "the risk of persecution or torture". The group cited an example of Eswatini, which welcomed 32 deportees from the US, saying that three people - from Yemen, Belize, and Laos - "voluntarily departed" to their home countries recently.

However, HRW noted that people sent to Eswatini, Ghana, and South Sudan had been arbitrarily detained and faced ill-treatment while in detention.

The group highlighted that tackling immigration was one of Trump's key pledges during the 2024 election. Suggesting that the current deportation policy is part of a broader strategy to deter migration.

HRW said that deporting people to countries where they have never set foot is part of a US policy designed to cause human suffering as a means to deter migration. "The point is to scare people," said Michael Garcia Bochenek, the group's interim US programme director.

Also Read: UK MPs Demand FCA Probe After Whistleblower Simon Andriesz Dies

Human Rights Watch also accused the US of violating international human rights law. The organization pointed out that the principle of nonrefoulement. Which prohibits sending people to a country where they face torture. Cruel treatment, or threats to their life and freedom, is being violated.

In Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and Ghana, the deportees had been sent to their countries of origin despite the risk of violating this principle.

As the US continues to deport migrants to African countries, Human Rights Watch is calling on the government to reconsider its policies and ensure that the rights of all individuals are protected.