Deportations from the United States to countries with which migrants have no ties could trigger a "cascade of human rights violations." This warning comes from more than twenty independent UN experts who have urged the Trump administration and involved governments to stop agreements that transfer migrants and asylum seekers to third countries.
According to these experts, appointed by the UN Human Rights Council but not speaking on behalf of the UN, this policy heightens the risk of torture, mistreatment, arbitrary detention, forced disappearances, slavery, and human trafficking. Particularly vulnerable individuals are at greater risk.
"The most at risk are children, women, people with disabilities, trafficking victims, LGBT individuals, human rights defenders, stateless persons, and others in extreme vulnerability," the experts stated, warning that in severe cases, "the consequences could be fatal."
Link to Agreements with Third CountriesAgreements with Third Countries
Since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, Washington has made agreements with various governments to transfer migrants who cannot be directly repatriated to their home countries.
This mechanism allows the U.S. to send deported individuals to a third country, even if they have no prior connection to that territory.
Link to What is a "Third Country"?What is a "Third Country"?
In the context of these deportations, a third country refers to a state that is neither the United States, from which the person is deported, nor their country of origin. Essentially, a migrant whom Washington cannot directly repatriate may be sent to another country willing to accept them based on an agreement with the U.S. government. The issue raised by UN experts is that some individuals are sent to states with which they have no personal or familial ties and which may lack the systems and structures to ensure protection, assistance, and the examination of asylum claims.
UN experts claim that such agreements have been reached with over 35 countries, citing Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Libya, and South Sudan among others.
According to data provided by the experts, at least 23,000 third-country nationals have already been deported through this system. An investigation published recently by Forbidden Stories and an international consortium of journalists estimated that by the end of August, the number of people involved had already exceeded 25,000. Although the figures from different sources do not fully match, they both describe a system now applied on a large scale.
Link to The Risk of a New Chain of DeportationsThe Risk of a New Chain of Deportations
A central concern is the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits transferring a person to a place where they risk persecution, torture, or other serious violations. According to experts, sending people to third countries can open a new chain of risks, especially for those who had already obtained protection in the U.S. because returning directly to their home country would expose them to potential abuses.
Deported individuals, they noted, can be sent "to countries or territories with which they have no connection." Others might face further violence or discrimination due to gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or their human rights advocacy.
Concerns also arise about the internal situation of some recipient states. Experts say several involved countries lack adequate systems to review asylum applications, suitable detention facilities, sufficient healthcare services, or sustainable reintegration programs.
"In many cases, these third countries are themselves torn by conflict, with their populations facing displacement, hunger, and crippling poverty," they stated. Hence the call: "All involved states and territories must immediately cease these agreements."
Link to Responsibility Extends Beyond WashingtonResponsibility Extends Beyond Washington
The experts' warning is not directed solely at the United States. Communications have also been sent to governments that have agreed to receive deported individuals.
The principle emphasized is that cooperation between states does not erase their respective human rights responsibilities. "A state that knowingly aids or assists another state in conduct that violates the principle of non-refoulement or other human rights obligations can itself incur international responsibility," the experts warned.
A call was also made to international agencies involved in assisting migrants and refugees, including the International Organization for Migration. According to the experts, their involvement should not legitimize systems that could expose people to refoulement or other severe violations. "Participating in measures that lead to rights violations can, in some situations, amount to complicity," they stated.
Link to The Battle Also Reaches U.S. CourtsThe Battle Also Reaches U.S. Courts
The controversy over deportations to third countries is not limited to international debate. In the United States, the issue has also reached the courts. According to reports, a federal appeals court ruled that migrants must receive sufficient information about the country to which they will be transferred and have a genuine opportunity to argue that they would face persecution or torture there.
The Trump administration has challenged these judicial restrictions, arguing that the procedures required by the courts hinder deportation operations and cause logistical and diplomatic difficulties. The government has thus appealed to the Supreme Court to maintain the ability to carry out transfers while the legal dispute continues.
The dispute intensified following the temporary suspension of an operation that reportedly aimed to transfer 70 people to three different countries. The administration claimed that judicial intervention forced authorities to cancel the flight and renegotiate the necessary agreements to proceed.
Link to The Issue of GuaranteesThe Issue of Guarantees
The Trump administration maintains that deportations to third countries are a tool of its immigration policy, to be used when direct repatriation to the country of origin is not possible.
UN experts, however, emphasize the individual guarantees that must precede any transfer. The focus, they argue, is not only on the formal destination of a deported person but also on what might happen to them upon arrival in the receiving country and the possibility of being subsequently transferred elsewhere.
(Associated Medias) - All rights reserved