The Central African Republic has reached an agreement to receive migrants from various nations who are being deported by the United States, according to two informed sources. This marks another instance of the Trump administration establishing partnerships with African nations to expedite removal processes.
The United States has previously sent these third-country deportees to African nations such as Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea through unclear agreements that Senate Democrats claim have required tens of millions in taxpayer funding. Many of these individuals had obtained legal safeguards through U.S. immigration courts preventing their return to their home countries. However, advocacy organizations argue these third-country arrangements enable the U.S. to bypass such legal protections.
The arrangement with Central African Republic was negotiated during a May 18 meeting in Bangui involving a U.S. delegation headed by Christian Jové Ehrhardt, the State Department’s deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, according to a Central African government official.
“Central African Republic will indeed take in, within the framework of agreements with the U.S., immigrants deported by American authorities,” the official stated, requesting anonymity. A regional diplomat, also speaking confidentially, confirmed the agreement had been finalized.
Central African Republic has experienced ongoing cycles of conflict since gaining independence from France in 1960, resulting in widespread poverty among its 5.5 million residents. President Faustin-Archange Touadera, who secured a third term in last December’s election, has sought Russian assistance for security matters while also expressing renewed interest in Western partnerships regarding critical minerals.
Details regarding the number of migrants to be relocated, their countries of origin, or the timeline for deportation flights remain unclear, though court records indicate attempts have already begun. U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal issued a temporary restraining order on May 22 preventing the deportation of a Turkish national, noting that U.S. officials had scheduled the individual’s removal to Central African Republic for May 26.
An official from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) confirmed the agency would assist deportees upon their arrival in Central African Republic. The IOM has previously aided third-country deportees in other African locations, including Congo. The United States allocated $85 million to the IOM this year for Central African Republic operations.
The Central African presidency and State Department did not respond to requests for comment. The Department of Homeland Security stated all deportees receive complete due process and directed questions about agreement details to the State Department. Washington has maintained the deportations are legally justified.
