The United States has deported more than 25,000 migrants, refugees and asylum seekers to countries where they have no previous ties under a growing network of agreements established by the Donald Trump administration.
The deportations form part of a wider immigration enforcement strategy that allows the US to remove people to so-called third countries rather than directly to their countries of origin. The arrangements have involved 35 countries, with the US committing at least $410 million to secure or support the agreements.
At least 5,000 migrants have reportedly been flown to countries across Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and Central Asia, while about 20,000 others have been transported to Mexico. Some of those deported had no connection to the countries receiving them.
The programme has also affected people who had previously received legal protection in the US because of concerns that they could face persecution or serious harm if returned to their countries of origin. In some cases, migrants were subsequently at risk of being transferred again to the countries from which they had fled.
The US government has maintained that its immigration crackdown is focused on removing people who have committed crimes. However, records and interviews examined in the investigation indicate that some deportees had no criminal records, while several receiving countries have themselves restricted the admission of people with serious or violent criminal histories.
The policy is also facing a legal challenge. A US federal appeals court recently ruled that the third-country removal policy was unlawful because migrants were not given adequate notice or a meaningful opportunity to challenge their deportations. The administration is expected to appeal the decision.
The growing network has placed the treatment of deportees, the use of US funds and the legal basis for third-country removals under renewed international scrutiny.
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