The U.S. administration intends to deport a number of migrants to the Central African Republic, officials and lawyers familiar with the plan said. The group reportedly includes Iranians, Syrians and Afghans, and the first flight under the arrangement is expected to carry roughly 20 people to the CAR capital, Bangui.
Two Iranian women among those named by their lawyer are said to face the prospect of torture or persecution if sent back to Iran. Their attorney, Emily Trostle, said both women were detained when they arrived in the United States in November 2024, sought asylum and later received withholding of removal from a U.S. immigration judge.
Sources involved in the preparations said the plane could depart as early as Thursday and that a Turkish national may also be included among those scheduled for removal. An official briefed on the matter said the deportees will be held in apartments in Bangui and are not expected to be immediately repatriated to their countries of origin.
Officials in Washington have increasingly relied on so-called third-country deportation agreements to relocate migrants that the United States cannot legally return to their home countries. The CAR deal follows similar arrangements with other nations, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, which itself is contending with an Ebola outbreak, according to the sources.
U.S. authorities have defended these arrangements as lawful. Rights groups and advocates, however, have criticized the deals as lacking transparency, and have noted that a number of people who are initially sent to third countries are subsequently repatriated.
U.S. authorities and the Central African presidency did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the deportation plan. Separately, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said last week that all deportees would receive full due process.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said it would provide post-arrival humanitarian assistance to migrants sent to Bangui at the request of the Central African government, while noting that the agency was not involved in the removals themselves. The IOM spokesperson emphasized that any assistance would be offered on a strictly voluntary basis and in line with applicable international standards.
The U.S. this year allocated $85 million to the IOM for operations in the Central African Republic.
The CAR has endured repeated cycles of unrest since gaining independence from France in 1960, a history that has left much of its population in poverty. Its population is about 5.5 million. Five years ago, Rwanda deployed troops to prevent rebels from disrupting elections and still maintains a presence, sources said. President Faustin-Archange Touadera has signed peace agreements this year with several rebel groups, which has reduced violence in some regions.
A source briefed on the plan estimated that hundreds of migrants could ultimately be deported to the Central African Republic under the terms of the agreement between the two governments.
The planned deportations occur against a broader backdrop of regional and international tensions involving Iran. The U.S. and Israel carried out heavy strikes on Iran in late February, touching off a conflict now described by sources as three months in duration. In April, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters that he believed the Iranian people should rise up against their government if a ceasefire were declared, though he acknowledged that such actions would likely be too dangerous for many.
Advocates and lawyers representing migrants have raised objections to the deportations, particularly for those who fear persecution in their home countries. The presence of individuals who were granted withholding of removal before a U.S. immigration judge adds complexity to the case files and to questions about the legal and humanitarian handling of third-country transfers.
Officials familiar with the preparations said the first flight is likely to be a small group and that those sent to Bangui will be housed in apartments rather than returned immediately to their countries of origin. The IOM’s offer of post-arrival humanitarian support is contingent on Central African government requests and on migrants accepting assistance voluntarily.
How many migrants will ultimately be relocated under the CAR agreement remains uncertain. Sources said the number could reach into the hundreds but provided no precise timeline for further flights.