South Sudan has accepted eight deported from third countries from the US, and Rwanda claims that President Donald Trump’s administration is on a similar agreement, while Nigeria says he refuses to pressure the same.
Although little details are known, these initiatives in Africa indicate expansion US efforts to deport people to countries other than their own. The United States has sent hundreds of Venezuelans and others to Costa Rica, Salvador and Panama, but they still have to announce any major trades with governments in Africa, Asia or Europe.
While supporters consider such programs as a way to discourage what they describe as an unmanageable level of migration, human rights advocates have raised concerns about sending migrants to countries where they have no ties or which may have the history of violations.
Last year, the United Kingdom Supreme Court ruled that a similar plan that deported, rejected asylum seekers Rwanda, was illegal.
Trump meets West African leaders
At the beginning of this week, Trump organized a summit with five West African leaders in the White House, which emphasized the new transactional American policy towards the continent.
Trump discussed migration with the leaders of Liberia, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania and Gabon, including the need for countries to accept their nationals who do not have the right to remain in the US, as well as the possibility to accept deported third-country nationals.
US Dministration hopes to create agreements with “many countries” to accept deported migrants.
“If there is a significant threat of public threat or the threat of national security – there is a certain thing – it does not walk on the streets of this country. We will find a third, safe nation to send them, and we do it,” he said.
What do African leaders say
Liberian President Joseph Boakai said on Friday in Liberia in Liberia that they were discussing the state national members of third countries, but that Trump did not directly request Liberia to accept such deported.
“They don’t force anyone, but they want us to know it’s a concern they have and ask how we can contribute, how can we help?” said.
President Umaro Sissoco Embalo of Guinea Bissau said that Trump had discussed the topic during the summit, but specifically did not request that African nations agreed to accept the deported. Other West African government did not respond to the request for comment.
Meanwhile, Nigerian Foreign Minister Yussuf Tuggar said that such interviews were held among American representatives and several African countries, even if he refused to provide details.
Later he said on Thursday that Nigeria did not adhere to what he has described as pressure on the acceptance of deported third countries and said that the country has enough of its own problems.
What is in that for African countries
Experts claim that some African countries may try to facilitate US deportation programs to gain good will in negotiations on tariffs, cuts in American aid or limitation of visas that have hit several African countries in recent months.
Beverly Ochieng, the analyst of the control risks of the security consulting enterprises, said that countries may want to achieve agreements on migrants to avoid the situation “where they lose access to the US economy or economic initiative and bilateral relations”.
These factors are particularly important, “with regard to downloading development,” said Ochieng Associated Press.
What has happened so far
So far, the only African country that adopted a deported third country from the US was South Sudan, who accepted eight deported criminal beliefs, of which only one was from South Sudan.
It is not clear what the agreement could be concluded between the two countries. The South Sudanese Foreign Ministry refused to answer questions.
Alan Boswell, program director of Africa Horn in the international crisis Group Think Tank, said that South Sudan would have “a number of reasons to want to place Trump’s administration, be by avoiding a visa prohibition, turning more sanctions against his elite.
The decision made criticism from southern Sudan civil society and some members of the government. “South Sudan is not a dumping ground for criminals,” said Edmund Yakani, leading civil society leader in the country.
Homan, an American border tsar, said he wasn’t sure of eight men and said they were no longer in custody of the US.
Attorneys and advocates are afraid of this kind of uncertainty about the legal status and security of such migrants, said Michelle Mittelstadt, spokesman for the Institute of Migration Policy.
“There is a lot of confusion and lack of clarity over who actually has control of these individuals when they are deported to a third country,” Mittelstadt said.
Rwandan Foreign Minister said last month AP Talks with the USA interviews on a potential agreement on hosting deported migrants without providing details. The US Foreign Ministry refused to comment on a potential agreement. Groups of rights have long criticized Rwanda for their record of human rights, especially for death in Rwandan links of some perceived government critics.
United Kingdom hit an agreement With Rwanda in 2022, send migrants who arrive in Great Britain like Stowawayys or in ships to the Eastern African country, where their asylum requirements would be processed and will remain. However, the plan was stopped by legal challenges and criticized by groups of human rights.
(Tagstotranslate) southern Sudan
