First 25 deportees from United States arrive in Central African Republic

A group of 25 migrants, representing various nationalities, arrived in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic (CAR), after being deported by the United States. The flight, originating from the U.S. with a stopover in Accra, Ghana, landed at Bangui M'poko International Airport late Friday. They were met by U.S. diplomats and CAR Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials in a reception closed to the media.

After a three-hour processing period, the deportees, who are of Turkish, Syrian, Iranian, Afghan, and Tibetan origin and had been detained in the U.S. for 13 to 17 months, received Ebola vaccinations and were issued visas. They were subsequently transported to private residences under escort by United Nations Military Police vehicles, in a country where the UN peacekeeping mission (Minusca) has been deployed since 2014.

This transfer is a direct result of an agreement signed on May 18, under which the CAR agreed to host migrants expelled from the U.S. in exchange for $81 million. This deal has sparked significant public opposition in Bangui. "The Central African government is playing with fire," stated Auguste Sambeko, a citizen who witnessed the arrival. "These people who arrived are frustrated and could resurface from our country. It is something I do not wish for, but this type of situation should be debated in the National Assembly first, which is unfortunately not the case, and I deplore it."

Sources close to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) assured that they are not acting unilaterally and are collaborating closely with the government, requesting patience and promising to keep the public informed. "For now, all necessary measures are being taken to assist these individuals in strict compliance with international humanitarian law," the source added. Meanwhile, civil organizations supporting the deportees have raised concerns about the lack of urgent psychological assistance for the new arrivals.

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The Central African government is playing with fire. These people who arrived are frustrated and could resurface from our country. It is something I do not wish for, but this type of situation should be debated in the National Assembly first, which is unfortunately not the case, and I deplore it.