Full Breakdown
Central African Republic Agrees to Accept U.S. Third-Country Deportees
6/8/2026, 12:54:28 PM
Agreement to Receive U.S. Third-Country Deportees
On 18 May 2024, a U.S. team led by Deputy Assistant Secretary Christian Jové Ehrhardt met President Faustin-Archange Touadéra in Bangui. The two sides signed an agreement for the Central African Republic (CAR) to host migrants deported by U.S. authorities to a third country. Two informed sources confirmed the pact but declined to give numbers, nationalities or flight dates. A U.S. District Court order on 22 May temporarily blocked the planned transfer of a Turkish national to CAR.
Background & Context
The United States has used a ‘third-country deportation’ policy to reduce detention backlogs, signing similar deals with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea. Senate Democrats label the arrangements opaque and costly, citing tens of millions of dollars in aid. CAR, home to about 5.5 million people, has faced chronic conflict since 1960, relies on Russian security support, and seeks Western investment in its mineral sector.
Key Figures & Groups
President Faustin-Archange Touadéra, Deputy Assistant Secretary Christian Jové Ehrhardt, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) are the principal actors in the agreement.
Data & Statistics
The U.S. has similar agreements with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea. It allocated $85 million to IOM for CAR operations in 2024. CAR hosts over 1.4 million internally displaced persons, roughly 30 % of its population.
Official Statements & Responses
U.S. officials describe the deportations as lawful and assert that deportees receive full due process, while directing questions about the agreement to the State Department. IOM confirmed it will provide humanitarian assistance. The State Department maintains a Level 4 travel advisory for CAR, citing kidnapping, armed robbery and terrorism.
Criticism & Opposition
Human-rights NGOs argue the pact breaches non-refoulement by sending vulnerable migrants to a country with a Level 4 travel warning and armed conflict. Senate Democrats criticize the lack of transparency and undisclosed financial burden on U.S. taxpayers. Critics note many deportees have pending asylum claims previously protected by U.S. courts.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources disagree on the timing of the first deportation flights and the exact number of migrants to be transferred. The U.S. stresses due-process compliance, while NGOs cite court orders blocking specific removals as evidence of procedural gaps. Neither the CAR presidency nor the U.S. State Department has commented.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Central African Republic will indeed take in, within the framework of agreements with the U.S., immigrants deported by American authorities,” — Anonymous CAR official
- “questions on agreement specifics” — U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson
- “Do Not Travel” — U.S. State Department advisory
What’s Next
The IOM is preparing reception facilities while CAR officials negotiate flight logistics. Legal challenges, such as the May 22 restraining order, may delay initial transfers. Congressional oversight hearings on third-country deportations are scheduled for later in 2024, potentially shaping the program’s future scope.
