The United Nations has issued an urgent call to Equatorial Guinea to cease its plans to repatriate asylum seekers deported from the United States. These individuals are at risk of facing severe political violence, torture, and even death if returned to their home countries. This appeal comes as human rights advocates voice grave concerns over the treatment of these deportees, who have described their detention in Equatorial Guinea as akin to life in a prison.
Urgent Appeal from Human Rights Experts
In an unprecedented public statement, UN human rights experts, joined by representatives from the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights, called upon the Equatorial Guinean government to adhere to international human rights standards and avoid the practice of refoulement—the forced return of individuals to nations where they may be subjected to persecution. The experts emphasised, “States must ensure that no one is returned, directly or indirectly, to a situation where their life, freedom, or physical or mental integrity would be in danger.”
This plea follows reports detailing the grim conditions experienced by deportees in Equatorial Guinea, described as “prison-like” by those detained.
The Background of Deportations
Under the previous administration, agreements were established with numerous countries to accept US deportees, part of a broader strategy for mass deportation. As part of this initiative
