By Pacome Pabandji and Giulia Paravicini
BANGUI, June 7 (Reuters) – Central African Republic has agreed to take in migrants from other countries deported by the United States, two sources with knowledge of the matter said, the latest example of the Trump administration striking deals with African states to accelerate removals.Washington has sent so-called third-country deportees to African countries including Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea, under opaque deals that Senate Democrats say have cost tens of millions of dollars.In many cases, deportees had secured legal protections from immigration courts in the U.S. against their repatriation. But rights groups say the third-country deals allow the U.S. to circumvent those protections.
DEAL DISCUSSED WITH US DELEGATION Washington has defended the deportations as lawful.The deal with Central African Republic was discussed during a May 18 meeting in Bangui with a U.S. delegation led by Christian Jové Ehrhardt, the State Department’s deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, a Central African government official told Reuters.”Central African Republic will indeed take in, within the framework of agreements with the U.S., immigrants deported by American authorities,” said the official, who requested anonymity.A diplomat based in the region, also speaking on condition of anonymity, also said a deal had been reached.
TIMING OF FIRST FLIGHTS UNCLEAR Central African Republic has endured repeated cycles of unrest since independence from France in 1960, leaving most of its 5.5 million people in poverty.President Faustin-Archange Touadera, who won a third term in an election held last December, has turned to Russia for security support, though he has also signaled a renewed interest in Western partnerships for critical minerals.Neither the Central African government source nor the diplomat based in the region had details on how many migrants would be sent to the country, their nationalities or when the flights might start, though one recent court judgment shows attempts have already started.
U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal on May 22 issued a temporary restraining order blocking the deportation of a Turkish national, noting that U.S. officials had planned to remove the person to Central African Republic on May 26.
ASSISTANCE FOR DEPORTEES
An official at the International Organization for Migration (IOM) confirmed to Reuters that the agency would be involved in assisting deportees once they arrive in Central African Republic.
The IOM has already provided assistance to third-country deportees elsewhere in Africa, including Congo.The U.S. this year awarded $85 million to the IOM for operations in Central African Republic.
An IOM spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The Central African presidency and the State Department did not respond to requests for comment.The Department of Homeland Security said all deportees were receiving full due process. It referred “questions on agreement specifics” to the State Department.
(Reporting by Pacome Pabandji and Giulia Paravicini; Additional reporting by Robbie Corey-Boulet; Editing by David Holmes)
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