US Sends Iranian Women to One of World’s Most Dangerous Countries in Secret Deportation Deal
The United States has deported a group of migrants, including Iranian women, to the Central African Republic (CAR), one of the world’s most dangerous countries, under a controversial third-country agreement.
The Trump administration has deported approximately two dozen migrants to the Central African Republic, according to reports [172192]. Among those sent to the African nation are Iranian women who had previously been granted protective measures because they faced a risk of persecution in their home country [172186]. Despite this protection, they were sent to CAR, which the U.S. government considers one of the most dangerous countries in the world [172186]. The women arrived in the capital, Bangui, on Friday, June 12 [172186].
The deportations are part of a controversial third-country deportation agreement that allows the U.S. to remove individuals who cannot be returned to their home countries, instead sending them to a willing third nation [171701]. Central African Republic has become the latest African nation to agree to accept third-country deportees from the United States, expanding Washington's options for deporting migrants who cannot be returned to their home countries [168566]. Human rights groups have criticized such agreements, citing safety concerns in the Central African Republic, which faces ongoing instability [171701]. U.S. officials have not commented on the specific case [171701].