US Deports 9 Migrants to Sierra Leone Under Criticized Third-Country Deal

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone -- Nine migrants deported from the United States landed in Sierra Leone on Wednesday, the West African country said, in the latest example of the Trump administration's widely criticized deals with African and Latin American nations to take third-country deportees. Five migrants are from Ghana, two from Guinea, one from Senegal and one from Nigeria, the ministry of information said. The deals have raised questions about respect for the migrants’ rights. The ministry's statement said the new arrivals “have been checked into their hosting facilities, are comfortable and receiving the necessary support.” It said 24 deportees were initially expected but didn't provide details. Alma David, an immigration lawyer with the U.S.-based Novo Legal Group who has helped deportees, said the lower number might be explained by the fact that several deportations were halted shortly before the flight left the United States. According to court documents seen by The Associated Press, a U.S. federal judge halted a woman's deportation to Sierra Leone after the government failed to let her seek protection under the Convention Against Torture, as required by law. Sierra Leone’s foreign minister, Timothy Kabba, told local media Wednesday the government has agreed to temporarily receive migrants deported by the Trump administration, saying it only accepts West African nationals and the agreement is supported by a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. government. The ministry of information said in a Facebook post Monday that Kenvah Solutions, ⁠a private contractor, was hired to handle the deportees housing, food and healthcare. It said deportees are expected to be sent home or transferred within 14 days, or up to 30 days in exceptional cases. The program is capped at 25 deportees per month and 300 per year, according to the ministry. It did not specify the duration of the arrangement. The U.S. has struck third-country deportation deals with at least eight other African nations, many among countries hit hardest by the Trump administration’s policies restricting trade, aid and migration. The other African nations known to sign deals are Congo, Equatorial Guinea, South Sudan, Rwanda, Uganda, Eswatini, Ghana and Cameroon. Several have notoriously repressive governments and poor human rights records including Eswatini, South Sudan and Equatorial Guinea. Some of the countries have received millions of dollars in return, according to documents released by the State Department. Details of most agreements have not been made public. Lawyers and activists have raised questions over the nature of the deals with countries in Africa and elsewhere. Some countries in Latin America, including Costa Rica,Dominican Republic and Honduras, have signed similar agreements to accept third-country deportees. Last week, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to bring a Colombian woman back to the U.S. from Congo after she was deported there even though it had refused to accept her because it could not care for her medical needs. —— Banchereau reported from Dakar, Senegal.