Six Deportees Refuse to Leave Plane in Liberia
Six people deported from the United States to Liberia refused to leave their plane last week.
Authorities then sent the group to Equatorial Guinea, according to a passenger and a lawyer.
The incident occurred on Thursday after the flight reached Liberia.
The group included four Cuban men, one Brazilian man and one Cameroonian woman.
Deportees Said Liberia Was Not Their Country
A Honduran deportee also traveled on the flight.
He said the six passengers refused to leave because Liberia was not their home country.
They also feared they could face danger there.
The six passengers later separated from the other deportees.
The remaining passengers left the plane because they feared authorities might force them out.
Group Taken to Equatorial Guinea
Meredyth Yoon represents some of the deportees through Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta.
She said officials told the six people they would return to the United States.
Instead, authorities flew them to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.
Yoon described their arrival as chaotic and deeply distressing.
She said some of the deportees arrived in chains.
She also reported that several people appeared extremely distressed.
Lawyer Raises Medical Concerns
Yoon highlighted the medical condition of one Cuban man.
She said he has a large abdominal growth and uses a colostomy bag.
He needs regular medical care to manage the condition.
However, the hotel where the group stays has no medical staff.
Around 40 other deported migrants also stay at the facility, according to Yoon.
Conditions at Hotel Face Allegations
Yoon said conditions at the hotel have deteriorated in recent months.
She alleged that guards sometimes withhold food.
She also accused guards of threatening and assaulting some migrants.
The allegations include claims of beating and choking.
Equatorial Guinea’s government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
US Expands Third-Country Deportations
The case highlights the Trump administration’s growing use of third-country deportations.
Under these arrangements, the United States sends migrants to countries other than their own.
The administration has made agreements with several countries for this purpose.
Immigration advocates strongly oppose the policy.
They argue that it can expose asylum seekers to danger.
They also say some migrants could face eventual return to countries where they fear persecution.
Liberia Deal Faces Early Test
The latest incident comes just days after the United States began deportations under a new Liberia agreement.
The deal allows Liberia to receive up to 1,200 people who are not Liberian citizens.
The first group of 20 deportees arrived near Monrovia on August 20.
The agreement has already attracted criticism from immigration advocates.
The refusal of six passengers to leave the plane adds another challenge.
Equatorial Guinea Already Holds US Deportees
Equatorial Guinea has received other migrants under a separate US agreement.
The country holds many of them at a hotel in Malabo.
The facility reportedly belongs to the family of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
A $7.5 million US agreement supports the country’s role in receiving deportees.
Human rights experts have also raised concerns about the treatment and possible onward removal of migrants in Equatorial Guinea.
Debate Over Third-Country Deportations Grows
The latest case has renewed questions about the Trump administration’s deportation strategy.
Supporters say third-country agreements give the United States more options.
Critics say the policy can move vulnerable migrants into unfamiliar legal systems.
They also question the safeguards available to people who fear persecution in their home countries.
For now, the six deportees remain in Equatorial Guinea.
Their case could add further scrutiny to Washington’s expanding network of third-country deportation agreements.
