Rights groups filed a complaint with the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights concerning U.S. deportations of individuals to Equatorial Guinea. Fourteen individuals with legal protection in the U.S. are represented, with six having been forcibly repatriated and eight remaining detained.
The complaint highlights concerns about the U.S. administration's immigration policies and the potential human rights violations faced by individuals deported to countries where they may face persecution.
Advocacy groups representing deportees sent by the U.S. to Equatorial Guinea have filed a complaint with the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights. The complaint, submitted on behalf of 14 individuals from African countries who had obtained legal protection in the U.S., aims to oppose the Trump administration's immigration policies, which critics argue circumvent these protections. Six of the represented deportees were forcibly repatriated from Equatorial Guinea in the past week, despite expressing fears of persecution or torture. Three were sent back after their home countries refused to accept them, while contact has been lost with the other three. The remaining eight deportees are still detained in Equatorial Guinea. The African Commission, which promotes human rights through urgent appeals and dispute settlement, has been asked to suspend further repatriations and guarantee access to lawyers. A report from Senate Democrats indicated that over $32 million has been sent directly to five countries for third-country removals, with $7.5 million going to Equatorial Guinea.