The Trump administration is preparing to deport nearly two dozen people to the Central African Republic on Thursday, including at least two Iranian women who had sought refuge in the United States, according to lawyers and a government official.
The flight, which is also expected to include migrants from Afghanistan and Syria, would mark the first such deportation to the Central African Republic — a deeply impoverished country plagued by conflict. The country is so dangerous that the US State Department states on its website: “Do not travel for any reason.”
At least some of the migrants have received court orders in the United States prohibiting their deportation to their home countries because of the threat of persecution or torture, their lawyers said. Migrants face a higher burden of proof to win this “withholding of removal” status than they do to qualify for asylum.
The Trump administration is working to find ways to deport people despite these court orders. The government is cutting deals with other countries willing to take them. The US has sought or signed agreements with dozens of countries, including Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, and Eswatini.
The Women’s Cases
The Iranian women scheduled to be on Thursday’s flight have no criminal record and have been granted court protection against deportation to Iran, said Sahar Jalili Pawelski, one of their immigration lawyers. The precise circumstances of their cases were not immediately clear, but many Iranians who hold this protection fear persecution over their political beliefs or religious identity.
The women were in “serious disbelief” when they realized they were scheduled to be sent to the Central African Republic, said Ali Rahmana of the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund, who recently met with them.
The Destination
The Central African Republic has been in near-constant conflict for years. Armed groups control large swaths of territory. The UN has documented widespread human rights abuses. The US State Department’s Level 4 advisory — “Do Not Travel” — is the highest warning level, reserved for countries with the most extreme risks to life and safety.
Sending asylum seekers to such a country raises serious legal and moral questions. The US government is not sending these women back to Iran, where they faced persecution. It is sending them to a third country with no apparent connection to them — a country the US itself says is too dangerous for American citizens to visit.
The Broader Pattern
The deportations are part of a broader Trump administration strategy to circumvent court orders blocking deportations to dangerous home countries. By striking deals with third countries willing to accept deportees, the administration can argue it is complying with court orders not to send people to specific countries while still removing them from the United States.
Human rights advocates say the practice amounts to “outsourcing” deportation to countries with poor human rights records. The administration says it is enforcing immigration laws and protecting national security.
The Bottom Line
The Trump administration is deporting nearly two dozen people to the Central African Republic, including at least two Iranian women who fled persecution and have court protection against deportation to Iran. The flight also includes migrants from Afghanistan and Syria. The Central African Republic is so dangerous that the US State Department advises American citizens not to travel there for any reason. It is the first such deportation to the country. Lawyers say their clients were in “serious disbelief” when they learned their destination. The administration has been striking deals with third countries to deport people despite court orders blocking removal to their home countries.
