A US deportation flight carrying migrants to the Central African Republic (CAR) lands in Bangui, according to lawyers, activists, and reporting from multiple outlets. Sources say the flight includes nationals from Iran and also people from Afghanistan, Turkey and Georgia, as part of the US administration’s “third-country” deportation program. One of the cases cited involves two Iranian women who, according to their lawyer, could face torture and persecution if returned to Iran. The US State Department advises people not to travel to CAR, citing the country’s violence and instability, and describes it as impoverished and violence-wracked.
Reuters and other reports characterize the “third-country” approach as an expansion of US immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump, including for some people with legal protections. France 24 reports CAR is one of several African nations that have agreed to accept deportees sent from the United States. The first flight is expected to carry roughly 20 people, including the two Iranian women, with additional transfers anticipated under the program.
