Two Cameroonian women who had been granted ‘withholding of removal’ by US immigration judges were deported back to Cameroon via Equatorial Guinea, despite the risk of persecution. The women were among over 200 people transferred to at least 10 African states under secret third-country agreements by the Trump administration. Equatorial Guinea received $7.5 million, but ignored asylum claims and returned refugees to countries where they faced danger. UN experts and the African Commission condemned the practice, but deportations continued. Human Rights Watch documented that dozens of asylum seekers have been returned to harm, including torture and rape. The US must restore asylum protections, and African states must stop accepting these transfers.
Article and image source: allafrica.com
