US deports migrants, including Iranian activist, to Central African Republic

The United States has deported a group of roughly two dozen migrants, including an Iranian pro-democracy activist, to the Central African Republic (CAR). This action is part of a contentious agreement allowing Washington to deport individuals who cannot be returned to their native countries. The flight departed from Louisiana and arrived in Bangui, the CAR's capital, on Friday.

Among those on board were nationals from Jordan, Armenia, Turkey, Georgia, and Afghanistan, according to the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund. Records indicate the deportation plane made a stop in Accra, Ghana, before reaching its destination. Details regarding the migrants' accommodation or the length of their stay in the CAR remain unclear.

“

They have absolutely no connection to this place. In all of my filings I submitted tons of information about how this was super dangerous.

A source close to the U.S. Embassy in Bangui reported that some migrants were temporarily housed at a firefighters' base, while others were slated for different locations. The source also noted that men and women were separated upon arrival. Emily Trostle, the lawyer for the Iranian activist, voiced strong objections, stating that her client and others had "absolutely no connection" to the CAR and that the deportation was "super dangerous."

Trostle further explained that these individuals are being "abandoned in a country where they have no status, no connection and no support network." She fears they might ultimately be compelled to return to the very nations they initially fled. The Iranian American Legal Defense Fund had previously warned that deporting Iranians to the CAR could be a "potentially fatal action," citing the country's close ties with Moscow, a key intelligence ally of Iran.

“

These individuals are being removed from the United States and abandoned in a country where they have no status, no connection and no support network. We fear they will ultimately be forced to return to the countries they originally fled.