Trump plans to deport Iranians, Afghans and Syrians to one of the world’s poorest countries

The Trump administration is preparing to send migrants from Iran, Afghanistan and Syria to the Central African Republic under a new third-country deportation arrangement, according to Reuters, a move that could place one of Africa’s most fragile states at the centre of Washington’s immigration crackdown.

• The Trump administration plans to deport migrants to the Central African Republic under a new third-country arrangement.
• The group reportedly includes Iranians, Afghans, Syrians and a Turkish national.
• Some of those facing removal had previously secured legal protection from deportation to their home countries.
• Hundreds could eventually be sent to the Central African nation, according to Reuters.

The first flight could carry about 20 people and may leave as early as Thursday, Reuters reported, citing two lawyers and an official briefed on the matter.

The group is expected to include Iranians, Syrians, Afghans and a Turkish national, according to the sources.

The planned removals mark the latest expansion of President Donald Trump’s efforts to deport migrants who cannot easily be returned to their countries of origin due to diplomatic, legal or security constraints.

Protected migrants among those facing removal

Among those expected to be deported are two Iranian women who had previously received protection from removal after U.S. immigration judges found they faced a significant risk of persecution or torture if returned to Iran.

According to their lawyer, Emily Trostle, one of the women is a Christian convert while the other is a pro-democracy activist.

Their cases have become a focal point for critics of the policy, who argue that migrants granted protection from persecution should not be transferred to unfamiliar countries with their own security and humanitarian challenges.

“At the very moment the United States is promising the Iranian people freedom and support for standing against the Islamic Republic, it is sending Iranian asylum seekers who fled that same regime back toward their demise,” Ali Rahnama, interim legal director at the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund, told Reuters.

A Turkish national who fled political persecution may also be among those on the flight, according to another lawyer cited by Reuters.

Why the Central African Republic matters

The Central African Republic is one of the world’s poorest countries and has endured decades of political instability, armed conflict and humanitarian crises since gaining independence from France in 1960.

Despite progress made through peace agreements with some rebel groups, large parts of the country remain vulnerable to insecurity.

The government of President Faustin-Archange Touadéra continues to rely on support from United Nations peacekeepers, Rwandan troops and Russian-linked security forces to maintain stability in parts of the country.

According to the World Bank, about 70% of the country’s population lives in poverty, making it one of the most aid-dependent nations in the world.

The prospect of receiving migrants with no direct connection to the country has raised fresh questions about the growing role African nations are playing in global migration management.

Hundreds could eventually be sent

Migrants sent to the Central African Republic are expected to be housed in apartments in the capital, Bangui, and are not expected to be immediately repatriated, according to the official cited by Reuters.

The same official said hundreds of migrants could eventually be deported to the country under the arrangement.

The International Organization for Migration said it would provide post-arrival humanitarian assistance to migrants arriving in Bangui at the request of the Central African government, while stressing that it was not involved in carrying out the removals.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has said all deportees receive full due process and has defended third-country deportations as lawful.

However, immigration advocates argue that the arrangements are often opaque and could expose vulnerable migrants to new risks after they leave the United States.

The reported deal would make the Central African Republic one of the latest countries drawn into Washington’s increasingly aggressive deportation strategy, highlighting how migration policy is becoming intertwined with geopolitics far beyond America’s borders.