Deportations from the United States to countries with which migrants have no necessary ties could trigger a "cascade of human rights violations." This warning comes from over twenty independent United Nations experts, who have urged President Donald Trump's administration and the involved governments to cease 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, enforced disappearances, slavery, and human trafficking. Particularly vulnerable are those already in precarious situations.
"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 several 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 when there is 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 expelled, 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 that, in some cases, may lack adequate systems and structures to ensure protection, assistance, and the processing of asylum requests.
UN experts claim that such agreements have been reached with over 35 countries, including Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Libya, and South Sudan.
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 along with an international consortium of journalists estimated that by the end of August, the number of people involved had already exceeded 25,000. While the figures from different sources do not fully match, they both describe a system now widely implemented.
Link to The Risk of a New Chain of ExpulsionsThe Risk of a New Chain of Expulsions
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 the experts, sending individuals to third countries can open a new chain of risks, especially for those who had already obtained some form of protection in the United States because a direct return to their country of origin would have exposed them to potential abuse.
The deported individuals, they noted, may be sent "to countries or territories with which they have no ties." Others might face further violence or discrimination due to gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or their human rights advocacy.
There is also concern about the internal situation of some recipient states. According to the experts, several involved countries lack adequate systems to process 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 halt 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 may itself incur international responsibility," the experts warned.
A reminder was also issued 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 serious 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 entered the courtroom. According to sources, a federal appeals court ruled that migrants must receive sufficient information about the country to which they will be transferred and have a real 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 both logistical and diplomatic difficulties. The government has therefore appealed to the Supreme Court in an attempt 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 was 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's stance remains 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 once they arrive in the receiving country and the possibility of being subsequently transferred elsewhere.
(Associated Medias) - All rights reserved