UN Urges Halt to U.S. Deportee Returns in Equatorial Guinea

U.N. human rights experts are urging Equatorial Guinea to halt any forced returns of U.S. deportees held in Malabo, after an Associated Press investigation reported that asylum seekers deported from the United States have been detained at the Bamy Hotel under a secretive migration arrangement.

According to report, at least 32 people have been held at the hotel since November, including migrants whose lawyers say they had previously received protection from U.S. judges. The report says 25 have already been returned to home countries across Africa, where some feared persecution or serious harm.

The warning adds pressure on Equatorial Guinea’s government, which has been asked by U.N. experts to respect the principle of non-refoulement the rule barring states from sending people to places where they may face torture, persecution or other grave risks.

The case has also renewed scrutiny of third-country deportation deals, where migrants are sent to countries that are not their own. Earlier reporting by PBS NewsHour documented similar concerns from an East African asylum seeker deported by the U.S. to Equatorial Guinea.

AP reported that the Trump administration declined to discuss the details of the deal, while Equatorial Guinea’s government did not respond to its request for comment. The remaining deportees at the hotel now face uncertainty over whether they will be allowed to stay, transferred elsewhere, or returned to countries they say they fear.

Rwanda has emerged as one of the main African partners in the U.S. third‑country removal program. In mid‑August 2025, Kigali took in seven migrants deported from the United States under a cash‑grant deal that could expand to 250 people. The article notes that Rwanda is not alone Uganda, Eswatini and South Sudan have also agreed to accept U.S. deportees.

Uganda’s case shows how these deals play out: its Law Society said twelve deportees arrived on a private charter flight in April 2026 and described the process as degrading. Officials expect further flights as Washington expands its strategy, even though key details such as compensation and the deportees’ legal status remain unclear.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is another destination. Our previous reports said that Kinshasa prepared to receive its first group of third‑country deportees, with plans to house more than thirty non‑Congolese migrants near the capital’s airport for 10–15 days while authorities decide on long‑term arrangements.

A second group of deportees arrived on April 22, five days after the first arrival of fifteen people, signaling that Congo’s role is shifting from a one‑off pilot to a broader relocation scheme. The article notes that U.S. officials are also discussing whether Congo could resettle Afghans stranded in Qatar, suggesting Kinshasa might become a hub in America’s third‑country transfer policy

Source:AP news