US to Send Deported Migrants to African Country in Bilateral Agreement, Key Deals Explained
- The United States has signed new deportation agreements with Honduras and Uganda, expanding its global strategy to manage illegal immigration
- Under the deals, both countries will receive migrants who are not their own nationals, sparking concern among human rights advocates
- The move forms part of the Trump administration’s broader push to secure international cooperation on migrant removals
The United States has reached new bilateral deportation agreements with Honduras and Uganda, according to documents obtained by CBS News, a partner of the BBC.
The deals form part of the Trump administration’s intensified efforts to curb illegal immigration by securing arrangements with foreign governments to accept deported migrants who are not their own nationals.
Source: Getty Images
Uganda and Honduras to receive migrants from US-Mexico border
CBS reported that Uganda had agreed to accept an unspecified number of African and Asian asylum seekers who had originally claimed refuge at the US-Mexico border.
The agreement stipulates that Uganda will only receive individuals without criminal records, although the final number of migrants remains unclear.
Honduras, meanwhile, committed to receiving several hundred deported individuals from Spanish-speaking countries over a two-year period.
The documents suggest that the Central American nation may consider accepting additional migrants beyond the initial quota. Families travelling with children are included in the scope of the agreement.
Trump administration expands global deportation strategy
The bilateral deals with Uganda and Honduras are part of a wider strategy by the Trump administration to forge deportation arrangements with countries across multiple continents. At least a dozen nations have reportedly agreed to accept migrants deported from the United States, even when those individuals are not citizens of the receiving country.
Last week, the US State Department announced a “safe third country” agreement with Paraguay, aimed at “sharing the burden of managing illegal immigration.” The White House has also been in talks with several African nations. Rwanda confirmed earlier this month that it would take up to 250 migrants from the US, with a government spokesperson telling the BBC that the country would retain “the ability to approve each individual proposed for resettlement.”
Panama and Costa Rica have also agreed to accept several hundred African and Asian migrants earlier this year, while the Trump administration has reportedly approached Ecuador and Spain with similar proposals.
Human rights groups condemn deportation agreements
The policy has drawn sharp criticism from human rights campaigners, who argue that migrants risk being sent to countries where they could face harm. Concerns have been raised about the human rights records of some of the participating nations, including Rwanda, which has previously faced scrutiny over the potential for onward deportations to unsafe destinations.
UN rights experts and advocacy groups have warned that deporting migrants to countries other than their homeland may breach international law. The issue gained further attention in June when the US Supreme Court ruled in favour of resuming such deportations, despite objections from three justices. Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented from the majority, calling the decision “a gross abuse.”
Since the beginning of his second term, President Donald Trump has pursued sweeping measures to remove undocumented migrants from the United States. The crackdown on illegal immigration was a central promise of his re-election campaign and continues to shape the administration’s foreign policy engagements.
Source: Legit.ng
