Reuters: Central African Republic agrees to accept US deportees

The Central African Republic has agreed to accept migrants from other countries deported by the United States, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, marking a further expansion of Washington’s use of third-country deportation arrangements with African states.

The move follows similar agreements reportedly reached with countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea, under deals that U.S. Senate Democrats say have cost tens of millions of dollars.

Rights groups have raised concerns that some deportees sent under such arrangements had previously been granted legal protections by U.S. immigration courts, arguing that third-country transfers may bypass those safeguards. The U.S. government maintains that the deportations are lawful.

According to a Central African government official, the agreement was discussed during a May 18 meeting in Bangui with a U.S. delegation led by Christian Jové Ehrhardt, deputy assistant secretary in the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration.

A government source said the Central African Republic would accept deportees under agreements with the United States, while a regional diplomat also confirmed that a deal had been reached. Neither source provided details on the number of migrants involved, their nationalities, or the timeline for transfers.

The Central African Republic, which has faced repeated cycles of conflict since independence from France in 1960 and remains among the world’s poorest countries, has increasingly engaged with external partners on security and economic issues. President Faustin-Archange Touadéra has strengthened ties with Russia in recent years while also signaling interest in renewed cooperation with Western partners, including in the critical minerals sector.

By Sabina Mammadli