US Deportations to Africa Face Human Rights Criticism
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused the United States of violating international human rights law by deporting migrants to African countries where they are not citizens and have no established connections. In a report published on October 8, the organisation said more than 500 people had been transferred from the US to African countries since Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025.
Deportees sent to third countries
According to HRW, the migrants were sent to countries including Ghana, Eswatini, South Sudan, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic. Many had previously received protection from removal to their home countries because of concerns that they could face persecution, torture or other serious harm.
The organisation said some deportees were later left with little practical choice but to return to their countries of origin, despite the risks they faced there. HRW argued that such actions could violate the international legal principle of nonrefoulement, which prohibits sending people to places where they face serious threats to their safety.
HRW reports detention and mistreatment
HRW researchers interviewed 24 people transferred from the US to six African countries: Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini and South Sudan.
Those interviewed described difficult conditions during their deportation flights. HRW said some people were shackled at their wrists, waists and ankles for journeys lasting up to 18 hours. Others reportedly received little information about where they were being taken and said they were denied essential medication or adequate food and water.
The organisation also said some deportees were detained after arriving in African countries. In certain cases, people were allegedly transferred onward to their home countries despite having previously received protection from removal because of fears of persecution or torture.
Concerns over vulnerable migrants
HRW also highlighted the cases of at least a dozen people who identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. The organisation said they were sent to African countries where same-sex relations are criminalised.
Some of those migrants had received protection in the US because they were considered at risk of persecution in their home countries because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. HRW said their transfer created a situation where returning home could expose them to danger while the third country did not necessarily provide effective protection.
Ghana among receiving countries
Ghana is among the African countries that have accepted third-country deportees from the US. HRW said more than 100 people may have been transferred to Ghana on several flights between September 2025 and July 2026, although the exact number remains uncertain.
The organisation also reported that some migrants arriving in Ghana were later sent to their countries of origin. HRW raised concerns that such transfers could expose individuals to persecution or torture.
US defends deportation policy
The US Department of Homeland Security has defended third-country removals, describing them as an important public safety measure. The department has said Immigration and Customs Enforcement receives assurances from destination countries that deportees will be safe.
DHS also maintained that once individuals are no longer in ICE custody, the agency is no longer responsible for their treatment. HRW, however, argued that the US remains responsible for ensuring that its deportation arrangements do not expose people to serious human rights violations.
Wider deportation policy
The third-country transfers form part of the Trump administration’s wider immigration enforcement campaign. HRW said the US had transferred nearly 28,000 people to more than 50 countries that were neither their countries of citizenship nor habitual residence between January 2025 and August 2026. Of those, 536 were sent to African countries, according to ICE data cited by the organisation.
HRW has called for the US to suspend third-country removals and urged African governments to review or terminate arrangements that could expose deportees to arbitrary detention, persecution or torture.
