Migrant deportations to distant third countries reveal secret US agreements

Under the Trump administration, more than 25,000 migrants were sent to nations with which they had no connection, including over 5,000 flights to Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and Central Asia. A consortium of 23 media outlets tracked over 100 flights to 28 countries, noting a surge in August when 16 flights delivered people to 13 new destinations. Detainees like Nika, an Iranian woman granted withholding of removal, were rearrested and placed on a plane to Bangui, CAR, where they faced confinement and limited freedom.

Human-rights lawyers describe the scheme as a “show of force” intended to deter migration, and a federal appeals court has declared the practice unlawful for denying adequate notice for legal challenges. The United States says the policy is a top priority for ending illegal immigration, while the International Organization for Migration supplies food, housing and psychological support to those sent to host countries such as CAR.