Amnesty International has urged African governments to end their involvement in controversial United States (US) third-country deportation agreements, warning that the arrangements expose migrants to severe human rights abuses and violate international law.
In a joint statement authored by Regional Directors Marceau Sivieude and Tigere Chagutah, the rights group highlighted that at least 13 Sub-Saharan African countries have signed deals with the US to accept deported foreign nationals. The nations include the Central African Republic (CAR), Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Ghana, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Uganda.
Amnesty documented cases where individuals expelled from the US, including nationals from Turkey, Afghanistan, and Iran, were flown to countries like CAR with which they had no ties, language skills, or legal status. The group warned that these transfers violate the international principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning individuals to countries where they face torture or persecution.
The report also highlighted that deportees face arbitrary detention in hotels, military camps, and airports upon arrival in host countries, often without access to legal representation. Amnesty urged African leaders to heed a November 2025 resolution by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights calling for an end to migration partnerships that put human rights at risk.
–ChannelAfrica/ Amnesty International —
