DAKAR, Oct 23 (Reuters) – Amnesty International on Friday urged Sierra Leone to halt the expected repatriation of three people deported from the United States, saying they could face serious human rights violations if returned to their home countries elsewhere in West Africa.
• The rights group said Abalo Agba of Togo, Alfred Kamara of Liberia and Fatou Traore of Ivory Coast had each lived in the United States for more than 20 years when they were removed by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement to Sierra Leone on October 12, and that they all have children under 18 still in the US
• They had previously secured a form of protection in the US known as withholding of removal, meaning a US immigration judge found they were more likely than not to face torture or other abuses if forced home
• Since taking office in January last year, the Trump administration has struck several deals with African governments that have agreed to accept migrants from other countries.
• Sierra Leone reached an agreement with Washington to accept up to 300 West African third-country nationals annually
• Amnesty said on Friday that migrants previously deported under the deal had been quickly repatriated, and it criticised what it described as a “revolving door” policy of forcing people home
• A Sierra Leone government spokesperson and the US State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment
(Writing by Ayen Deng Bior; Editing by Robbie Corey-Boulet and Ros Russell)
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