01-08-2025
E dey legal for US to deport foreign criminals come Africa?
United States goment don turn Africa to dia new backyard wia dem dey deport migrants wey dem say be convicted criminals.
Even as dem don fly some of di migrants go kontris for Central and South America, dem bin send 12 men from kontris including Mexico, Myanmar and Yemen go Eswatini and South Sudan last month.
Dem bin also fly one South Sudan pesin go back home.
Di US goment dey also try convince some oda African kontris to accept pipo wey dia kontris no gree collect back, according to US authorities.
President Donald Trump mass deportation gada support during im campaign last year.
But UN human rights experts and human rights groups dey worry about wetin bin happun as dem argue say to carry migrants go kontris wey no be dia place of origin – wey dem dey call third kontri - fit dey against international law.
Third kontri deportation legal for international law?
Third-kontri deportations fit dey legal - but only for some kain conditions.
"Dis whole idea of third kontri removal dem dey see am as anoda kind of asylum," Prof Ray Brescia, from Albany Law School for US tok.
"E get principle for international law - wey dem dey call non-refoulement - e mean say you no suppose return pesin back to im kontri if e no dey safe for dem, so a third kontri fit be safe option for am," im tok.
Dis principle no only apply to di migrant home kontri but also to di kontri wey dem go wan send am go.
If dat kontri no safe, deportation fit dey against international law - like wen UK Supreme Court block British goment plan to send asylum seekers go Rwanda for 2023.
Due process also dey necessary.
Migrants gatz get chance to challenge deportation if di destination dey dangerous, based on evidence from credible sources like UN reports or US State Department findings.
Courts dey expected to assess dis risk carefully.
"Di court gatz torchlight di kain legal status wey migrants go get, if dem go detain dem, which kain house dem wan give dem," Dr Alice Edwards, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and oda Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, tok.
But many migrants dey struggle to get access to legal support on time.
"E dey take serious effort and access to lawyer wey fit act sharpaly," Prof Brescia tok.
"Dat kain legal waka no dey available to evrione."
Eswatini and South Sudan deportations dey against international law?
"For sure dem dey, in two ways," Prof David Super, from Georgetown University Law Centre, tok.
"E no get evidence say US dey give pipo chance to challenge dia deportation, and dem no get permission to send pipo go kontris wia dem fit face oppression."
"South Sudan and Eswatini get serious questions about dia human rights records," im tell BBC.
Wen dem bin first bundle migrants go South Sudan for May, e get one legal challenge wey dem carry go one US district court afta di flight don already take off.
Di judge bin rule say attempt to deport di men dey against order wey im bin give say dem gatz allow migrants to challenge di decision to carry dem go anoda kontri.
Dem later divert dat plane go Djibouti, for East Africa, wia dem bin lock di men inside one shipping container for one US military base as court dey hear di case.
Dem refer di case to Supreme Court wey allow di deportations to continue, but no tok weda dem see South Sudan as safe place for di migrants.
"Wetin we don see for similar cases be say dem dey mostly deny pipo legal help wen dem need am, and di case dey start wen tins don already cast," Dr Edwards tok.
"For dis case, dem don already dey road dey go US military base and dat na deep wahala."
She add say court gatz remove hands from politics, especially wen e concern basic rights.
Prof Brescia warn say di Supreme Court decision fit set dangerous precedent.
"Di real concern be say e go encourage di goment to move even faster, bifor pipo go fit go courts at all," im tok.
Eswatini and South Sudan safe?
In addition to di process wey dey deny dem, dem dey potentially send di migrants go kontri wey no safe - breaking international law.
Di US State Department dey currently advise pipo make dem no travel go South Sudan sake of threats including crime, armed conflict and kidnapping.
Earlier dis year, tori be say di kontri wey be one of di poorest for world, almost return to civil war.
"E get some real concern about law and order for South Sudan - about violence, instability, and ongoing conflict," Dr Edwards tok.
Tori be say di pipo wey dem deport go South Sudan dem detain dem for one facility for di capital, Juba, wey dem sabi say e dey for poor conditions, according to political activist, Agel Rich Machar.
Di goment neva still confam dia location or how long dem go spend for detention.
For Eswatini, wey be one small landlocked kingdom for southern Africa, officials say di migrants dey for one prison and dem go repatriate dem wit support from International Organization of Migration (IOM).
Di US State Department say Eswatini prisons dey face problems of overcrowding, poor ventilation, and beta food and health services no dey.
"We no dey see am say dem go stay dia long enough to become part of di society," Eswatini goment tok-tok pesin Thabile Mdluli tell BBC, witout giving any any sign of how long dem go stay for di kontri, or weda dem go serve di rest of dia sentences first.
Di US goment say di pipo wey dem deport go Eswatini commit "barbaric" crimes including child rape, murder and sexual assault.
Eswatini pipo don dey begin para..
Di kontri biggest opposition party, di People United Democratic Movement (Pudemo) say di agreement between di two kontris na "human trafficking wey dem disguise as deportation deal".
Pro-democracy activist Lucky Lukhele say make di kontri no become "dumping ground for criminals".
Even if dem don break international law, Prof Super say di US fit no face di consequences as dem no recognise many international courts.
"Dis be like say na about deterrence, unto say dem dey send message say if you come US dem go treat you collect veri, veri harshly," im tok.
Even witout all di legal palava, third kontri deportation dey put pipo wey already dey vulnerable for unfamiliar environments wit small support or legal status, Dr Edwards tok.
"Na veri yeye idea."
She stress say human rights community no dey try to block each and evri deportation - na only wia pipo dey face human rights violations.
Wetin dey inside for di host kontris?
Di koko informate inside di deportation deals na big secret.
Ms Mdluli tell BBC say Eswatini reasons for accepting di deportees "go remain classified information for now".
However, both di Eswatini and South Sudan goments say na dia strong ties wit US be key motivation.
Prof Brescia dey suggest say some kontris dey fear say US fit revenge if dem refuse, like stricter visa rules or higher tariffs.
For April, US say e go revoke all visas wey dem give to South Sudan kontri pipo afta dem refuse to accept one deported citizen.
E no clear if dat one don change now wey dem don gree accept deportees from US.
Political activist Machar say South Sudan don also agree to dis deal as dem want make US lift sanctions on Vice-President Benjamin Bol Mel.
US goment issue sanctions against Bol Mel for 2021 sake of alleged corruption and dem renew am dis year.
However, oda kontris, like Nigeria neva gree.
"We get enough problems of our own," Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar tok for July, as dem reject request to accept detainees from Venezuela.
Dr Edwards add say dat kain deals dey always come wit some beta, we go jinja di kontris.
"For past arrangements of third-kontri deportations, large sums of money, military and security cooperation, na part of di package," she tok.
For March, tori be say Trump goment say dem go pay El Salvador $6m (£4.5m) to accept Venezuelan deportees.
