In brief
Human Rights Watch claims the United States has been sending over 500 migrants to African countries where they are not citizens, exposing them to possible torture and persecution. The policy, defended by DHS as a safety measure, is said by HRW to be a strategic tool of intimidation that breaches international law. Interviews with 24 migrants across six African states revealed chains, lack of food, water and medication during flights and detention. The move is viewed as a breach of the non‑refoulement principle and an attempt to deter migration through human suffering.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has warned that the United States has been sending migrants to third‑party African countries in a practice that violates international law and exposes people to torture, persecution and other abuse.
According to the organisation’s report, after the 2025 election the administration has dispatched more than 500 people to countries where they are not citizens, many of whom would face serious harm if returned home.
The Department of Homeland Security insists that the “third‑country removal” policy protects American streets by ridin ung criminals, but HRW argues the policy is a form of state‑backed intimidation that deliberately inflicts suffering on people who have already endured displacement.
Several African states – including Eswatini, Ghana and South Sudan – have reported that they have detained, mistreated or sent deportees back to their home nations, despite the risk of persecution in those countries.
HRW’s investigators spoke with 24 migrants across six African states. Many said they were chained during flights, were denied water and food, and were not given enough medication to treat chronic illnesses.
Of particular concern, the group identified men, women and migrant children who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender and who were sent to countries that criminalise same‑sex relationships and pose a real danger of persecution.
White House officials maintain that such removals apply only to people who are barred from returning home or where courts have ruled they cannot be brought back. They also say they provide the deportees with “free flights” and financial assistance.
Nonetheless, HRW says the United States’ practice undermines the principle of non‑refoulement and demonstrates a pattern of using human suffering as a tool to deter migration.
