Stranded in Limbo: Refugees Trapped by Secretive US Deportation Deals

A 28-year-old refugee from East Africa was overjoyed when a US immigration judge deemed him free after 13 months in California detention. Although denied asylum, the judge ruled against deportation, citing danger in his homeland. However, instead of freedom, he was handcuffed and flown to Equatorial Guinea.

Equatorial Guinea, an autocratic state in West Africa, lacks an asylum policy and signed a secretive deal with the Trump administration to become a transit hub for deported migrants. The young refugee, fearing repercussions, remains anonymous. He is one of 29 individuals deported, despite legal protection granted by US judges.

Deals with seven African nations facilitate third-country deportations, said legal experts, exploiting loopholes to sidestep laws preventing returns to danger zones. Trapped in Equatorial Guinea, refugees face indefinite detention or forced repatriation, threatening their safety. The case highlights the precarious situation for deported migrants under these opaque agreements.