More than a dozen United Nations human rights experts have called on the United States to halt the deportation of migrants to countries other than their own, warning that some people transferred under the policy could face serious human rights risks.
The experts sent a communication to the US government on Monday, September 28, raising concerns about agreements under which migrants are deported to third countries when the United States cannot return them directly to their countries of nationality.
The experts said at least 23,000 third-country nationals had already been transferred to 29 countries and territories under such arrangements.
The policy has expanded under the administration of US President Donald Trump, which has reached agreements with several governments to accept migrants who cannot legally or practically be returned to their home countries.
The UN experts said some of the people affected had previously received protection from US courts because judges determined that they could face persecution or other forms of abuse if sent back to their countries of origin.
They warned that transferring such people to another country could expose them to further risks if adequate protection is not guaranteed.
The experts highlighted particular concerns for vulnerable groups, including children, women, people with disabilities, trafficking survivors, LGBT people, human rights defenders and stateless people.
Their intervention comes after rights groups raised concerns about conditions faced by some migrants deported under third-country arrangements.
One example cited in recent reporting involves migrants transferred to Equatorial Guinea. Rights groups have raised concerns about their treatment, while witnesses reported that police officers displayed firearms when migrants arrived.
Another arrangement involves the Central African Republic, which has agreed to receive some deportees from the United States, including Iranian nationals.
The UN experts said the consequences of the policy were no longer simply a potential risk and called for greater protection of people being removed from the United States.
The US government has defended its third-country deportation arrangements as lawful. Washington has said deportations are conducted in accordance with US immigration law and applicable procedures.
The Trump administration is also challenging court decisions that have restricted the policy. Earlier in September, Trump asked the US Supreme Court to allow his administration to continue third-country removals after lower courts ruled against aspects of the policy.
The legal dispute is part of a wider conflict over how far the US government can go in removing migrants when returning them directly to their home countries could expose them to persecution or other serious harm.
The UN experts also contacted the governments of 35 countries and territories that they said had entered agreements with Washington to accept deported migrants.
Such arrangements have become an increasingly important part of US immigration enforcement as the administration seeks destinations for people who cannot be returned directly to their countries of origin.
The experts’ communication does not itself constitute a court ruling or a binding order against the United States. UN special procedure experts are independent experts appointed by the Human Rights Council to monitor and report on human rights issues.
The US diplomatic mission in Geneva had not responded to the experts’ concerns at the time of Reuters’ report.
The debate over third-country deportations is expected to continue as courts consider the legality of the arrangements and governments negotiate additional agreements for receiving deported migrants.