US Sent 66 Deportees to Equatorial Guinea Under $7.5M Deal

Two men deported from the United States to Equatorial Guinea were bound, hooded with bags over their heads, beaten and pushed down a flight of stairs in view of other deportees before being taken to a prison, according to witnesses and human rights lawyers cited by The Guardian.

What happened to the two deported men?

The men — one from Egypt, one from Eritrea — were restrained and assaulted at the Hotel Bamy, a facility on the outskirts of Malabo that the US government has used to hold deportees, witnesses and human rights lawyers told The Guardian. Detainees at the hotel said they believe the two men were beaten for speaking to reporters and human rights advocates about conditions and violence inside the building, according to the same account. Other detainees said they now experience flashbacks and fear retaliation if they speak out, The Guardian reported.

Who are the detainees still held at the hotel?

About 30 people deported from the US remain at the Hotel Bamy, according to The Guardian. The outlet reported that the US has sent at least 66 people from African countries, Cuba and Brazil to Equatorial Guinea as part of the removal program.

What deal sent them to Equatorial Guinea?

Equatorial Guinea has received $7.5 million as part of an arrangement to accept people deported from the US, The Guardian reported. The arrangement is one of dozens the Trump administration has pursued with other governments to accept immigrants the US cannot deport directly to their countries of origin, according to the report.

Why can't they be deported to their home countries?

The men and women sent to Equatorial Guinea and similar third countries are people whom US judges determined would face torture or persecution if returned home, The Guardian reported. Previously, the US government allowed such individuals to remain and work in the US indefinitely. Under the current policy, they are instead expelled to countries where they have no ties, do not speak the local language and hold no legal status, leaving them in what The Guardian described as limbo.

What do human rights advocates say about conditions there?

Human rights advocates and experts have warned for months that conditions at the Hotel Bamy are dangerous, according to The Guardian. The outlet cited the US State Department's own findings that Equatorial Guinea's government is "notorious for human rights abuses, including torture." The United Nations has separately urged Equatorial Guinea not to send US asylum seekers back to their countries of origin, warning that "their life would be in danger," according to related Guardian reporting referenced in the story.

The Guardian's account is based on statements from witnesses, detainees and human rights lawyers; it does not include a response from the Trump administration or the government of Equatorial Guinea in the material reviewed.