US deportations to African countries unlawful and exploit suffering - HRW

Human Rights Watch (HRW) states that US deportations to third-party African countries are illegal and exploit suffering to deter migration. Since Donald Trump returned to the White House in 2025, over 500 people have been sent to African countries where they are not citizens, often facing arbitrary detention, torture, or persecution. The DHS claims these removals are a public safety tool, but HRW criticizes this policy as intentionally causing human suffering to discourage migration, including sending individuals to countries where they have never been.