How US is using cash, threats to dump migrants in Africa
Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
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- The U.S. is reportedly using visa bans and financial incentives to pressure African nations into accepting migrants from third countries.
- Migrants, including Cambodians, have been deported to African nations like Eswatini, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda, often without understanding why.
- Critics describe the practice as "modern-day human trafficking" and a "legal black hole" for deportees, who face detention without charge and limited rights.
The United States is allegedly employing a strategy of threats and financial inducements to compel African nations into accepting migrants from various parts of the world. This approach, described by former State Department officials, involves imposing visa bans on African countries while simultaneously offering cash incentives to their governments to take in deportees.
I didn’t understand why I was being expelled to Africa since I’m Cambodian.
These deportations have resulted in individuals, such as 43-year-old Pheap Rom from Cambodia, being sent to countries like Eswatini, where they have no ties and struggle to comprehend their expulsion. Reports indicate that other deportees have been sent to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and even war-torn South Sudan, with some disappearing from contact after arrival.
Lawyers say deportees have been thrown into a “legal black hole”, held without charge in countries where they have no ties and few if any rights.
Lawyers and human rights organizations are condemning these actions, with some likening the process to "modern-day human trafficking" conducted through official channels. Deportees are reportedly thrown into a "legal black hole," detained without charge in countries where they lack basic rights and legal recourse. Even in stable democracies like Ghana, individuals have allegedly been abandoned without proper documentation by security forces.
It’s like modern-day human trafficking, through official channels.
The policy, attributed to former President Donald Trump's hardline anti-immigration advisor Stephen Miller, has seen a significant portion of countries affected by U.S. travel bans located in Africa. While the White House has not directly addressed the allegations, the State Department reiterated its commitment to implementing the Trump administration's immigration policies and bolstering border security. The U.S. has also reportedly used similar tactics in Central and South America, sending asylum seekers to Panama and Venezuelans to El Salvador.
Implementing the Trump Administration’s immigration policies is a top priority. We remain unwavering in our commitment to end illegal and mass immigration and bolster America’s border security.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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