Amnesty International has urged African governments to end their involvement in controversial United States (US) third-country deportation agreements, warning that the arrangements expose migrants to severe human rights abuses and violate international law.

In a joint statement authored by Regional Directors, Marceau Sivieude and Tigere Chagutah, the rights group highlighted that at least 13 Sub-Saharan African countries have signed deals with the US to accept deported foreign nationals. The nations include the Central African Republic (CAR), Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Ghana, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Uganda.

Amnesty documented cases where individuals expelled from the US, including nationals from Turkey, Afghanistan, and Iran, were flown to countries like CAR with which they had no ties, language skills, or legal status. The group warned that the transfers violated the international principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning individuals to countries where they face torture or persecution.

The report also highlighted that deportees face arbitrary detention in hotels, military camps, and airports upon arrival in host countries, often without access to legal representation.

Amnesty urged African leaders to heed a November 2025 resolution by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights calling for an end to migration partnerships that put human rights at risk.

This is just as the United States has ordered a major crackdown on birth tourism, with President Donald Trump signing an Executive Order directing federal agencies to deny visas, revoke travel authorisations and deport foreign nationals who enter the country to give birth.

The order, signed on August 6, 2026, described U.S. citizenship as “among the greatest inheritances the nation can bestow” and warned that it was being treated “as a commodity to be acquired through calculated exploitation and evasion of the immigration laws.”

According to the White House, the measure is aimed at closing loopholes that have allowed foreign nationals to exploit non-immigrant visas to secure citizenship for children born on American soil.

Under the directive, the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security were given authority to implement the new policy, while all other executive departments and agencies were directed to provide records and information necessary for implementation of the new policy.

Specifically, the Secretary of State and Secretary of Homeland Security were directed to prevent the entry of any foreign national attempting to enter the United States for birth tourism. The agencies were also mandated to revoke visas and travel authorisations and to permanently bar entry of anyone found to have engaged in the practice.

In addition, the order empowers both departments to deny entry or remove any ‘alien’ who previously engaged in or plans to engage in birth tourism.

The Secretaries were further instructed to take action against entities and individuals within and outside the United States responsible for facilitating or enabling birth tourism.

The directive covers operators, organisations and middlemen accused of coaching clients to misrepresent their travel purpose to consular and border officials.

The secretaries were also mandated to update rules, policies and operational guidance to effectuate the policy.

The White House noted that the policy would promote the integrity of the immigration system and ensure non-immigrant visa classifications were not exploited for permanent immigration benefits. (Guardian)

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