A flight deporting migrants , including Iranian women granted protection from removal to Iran, arrived in the Central African Republic on Friday, highlighting the Trump administration's use of third-country deportation agreements with nations like the Central African Republic, a poor and conflict-ridden state allied with Russia.

The $30 million humanitarian lifeline

The U.S. earlier awarded $85 million to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a UN agency, for operations in the Central African Republic to assist migrants and promote community stabilization. The IOM will provide post-arrival humanitarian assistance at the request of Central African authorities.

The Central African Republic is one of the world's poorest nations, with a third of its population living on less than $2 daily despite gold reserves. It has endured prolonged conflict between government forces and armed groups .

An echo of Sydney's 2024 institutional buy-up

The Central African Republic is among at least nine African countries with third-country deportation agreements with the U.S. immigration lawyers assert that the administration exploits deportations to third countries as a legal loophole to indirectly compel asylum seekers to return to their nations of origin.

Lawyers warn the practice may force asylum seekers back to persecution. The exact number of migrants on the flight from Louisiana remains uncertain.

Who is the unnamed buyer?

Among those slated for deportation were individuals from Iran, Jordan, Armenia, Turkey, Georgia, and Afghanistan. Three Iranian women in the U.S. were originally scheduled for deportation to the Central African Republic; two obtained emergency court orders temporarily halting their removal pending judicial review of the government's actions.

These women had been granted withholding of removal by U.S. judges based on credible fears of persecution in Iran due to politics or religion .

What auditors flagged in the May filing

Legal representatives express grave concern that, despite this protection, the individuals are being removed to a country where they have no ties or support network, potentially forcing them back to the countries they fled.

The Department of Homeland Security declined to comment on future removal operations citing security reasons, while Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not immediately respond.