Central African Republic to accept third-country deportees from US, sources say

By Pacome Pabandji and Giulia Paravicini

June 7, 202612:35 PM GMT+1Updated 2 hours ago

Summary

Deal is latest in Africa as Washington tries to accelerate removals

Rights groups say third-country arrangements circumvent legal protections

Timing of first flights to Central African Republic unclear

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.

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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.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5871833&forum_id=2)#49919974)

During the colonial era, the country's name was Ubangi-Shari (French: Oubangui-Chari), a name derived from two major rivers and Central African waterways – the Ubangi and the Chari. Barthélemy Boganda, the country's first prime minister, favored the name "Central African Republic" over Ubangi-Shari, reportedly because he envisioned a larger union of countries in Central Africa.[17]

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5871833&forum_id=2)#49919993)