The Central African Republic has agreed to take in migrants from other countries deported by the United States, two sources with knowledge of the matter said, the latest example of the Trump administration striking deals with African states to accelerate removals.

Washington has sent so-called third-country deportees to African countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea, under opaque deals that Senate Democrats say have cost tens of millions of dollars.

In many cases, deportees had secured legal protections from U.S. immigration courts against repatriation. But rights groups say the third-country deals allow the U.S. to circumvent those protections.

DEAL DISCUSSED WITH US ⁠DELEGATION

Washington has defended the deportations as lawful.

The deal with the Central African Republic was discussed during a May 18 meeting in Bangui with a U.S. delegation led by Christian Jové Ehrhardt, the State Department's deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, a Central African government official told Reuters.

"Central African Republic will indeed take in, within the framework of agreements with the U.S., immigrants deported by American authorities," said the official, who requested anonymity.

A diplomat based in the region, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said a deal had been reached.

TIMING OF FIRST FLIGHTS UNCLEAR

The Central African Republic has endured repeated cycles of unrest since its independence from France in 1960, leaving most of its 5.5 million people in poverty.

President Faustin-Archange Touadera, who won a third term ‌in an ⁠election held last December, has turned to Russia for security support, though he has also signalled a renewed interest in Western partnerships for critical minerals.

Neither the Central African government source nor the diplomat based in the region had details on how many migrants would be sent to the country, their nationalities, or when the flights might start, though one recent court judgment shows that attempts have already begun.

U.S. District Judge Lee ⁠Rosenthal on May 22 issued a temporary restraining order blocking the deportation of a Turkish national, noting that U.S. officials had planned to remove the person to the Central African Republic on May 26.

ASSISTANCE FOR DEPORTEES

An official at the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) confirmed to Reuters that the agency ⁠would be involved in assisting deportees once they arrive in the Central African Republic.

The IOM has already provided assistance to third-country deportees elsewhere in Africa, including Congo.

The U.S. this year awarded $85 million to the IOM for operations in Central African Republic.

An IOM spokesperson ⁠did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Central African presidency and the State Department did not respond to requests for comment.

The Department of Homeland Security said all deportees were receiving full due process. It referred to "questions on agreement specifics" to the State Department.

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Central African Republic to accept deportees from US, sources say

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