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The US has deported thousands of people to nearly two dozen countries under its third-country deportation deals, a move that immigration lawyers describe as a legal loophole .

Under these often-secret pacts, the Trump administration has indirectly forced asylum seekers back to their home countries, sparking controversy and concerns over the treatment of migrants.

The latest instance of this practice is the deportation flight carrying migrants from multiple countries, including an Iranian asylum seeker , which landed in the Central African Republic on Friday.

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The US Department of Homeland Security declined to comment on the case, citing security reasons for not confirming future removal operations.

However, immigration lawyers have expressed concerns about the treatment of the migrants, particularly the Iranian asylum seeker, who faces persecution in her home country.

Rahnama, interim executive director of the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund , has been in touch with some of the migrants and has expressed concerns about sending an Iranian asylum seeker to CAR, noting Russia's influence in the country and Moscow's close security ties with Iran.

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The US earlier this year awarded $85 million to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for operations in CAR to assist migrants and promote community stabilization.

However, the IOM has expressed concerns about the treatment of the migrants and has said it would provide post-arrival humanitarian assistance to the migrants at the request of Central African authorities.

The Central African Republic has been plagued by years of conflict between pro-government forces and armed groups and is one of the poorest countries globally, with one in three people living on less than $2 a day.

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The use of third-country deportations is not a new practice,but it has been stepped up under the Trump administration,with thousands of people being deported to countries that are not their own.

This move has been criticized by advocacy groups, who argue that it is a way for the administration to indirectly force asylum seekers back to their home countries.

The Central African Republic is among at least nine African nations that have entered into such arrangements with the US, highlighting the complex and often secretve nature of these deals .

The US has been criticized for its treatment of migrants, particularly those from Iran, who face persecution in their home country .

The Iranian American Legal Defense Fund has expressed concerns about the treatment of the Iranian asylum seeker, who was granted withholding of removal but is still being deported to CAR.