Migrants Deported By U.S. To Sierra Leone Risk Return To Countries Where They Fear Persecution
Sierra Leone has become a temporary transit location for asylum seekers deported by the U.S., risking being sent back to their home countries where they face persecution, despite prior court orders. A dozen people arrived in Sierra Leone recently, adding to the nine West African migrants who landed there last month.
The U.S. has struck deportation deals with at least nine other African nations, as well as countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Deportees in Sierra Leone are being handled by a private contractor, Kenvah Solutions, with the government’s support.
Under the Trump administration, thousands have been deported to countries that are not their own, using third-country deportations as a loophole to force asylum seekers back to their home countries. Sierra Leone’s foreign minister confirmed a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. government to support the deportation program, which is limited to 25 deportees per month and 300 per year.
Legal protections from U.S. courts have been stripped from the deportees, leaving them with little ability to prevent being sent back to their home countries. Advocates have filed cases against countries like Equatorial Guinea for violating deportees’ rights.
The U.S. government’s stance seems to be that what happens to deportees after they leave the United States is not their concern. The situation highlights the complex and often unjust realities faced by asylum seekers caught in the deportation system.
