FAQs About Third Country Removals

Third country removals have made many headlines recently and have left many people wondering what they are, if they are legal, and with many questions. This process sends individuals the U.S. government wants to remove from America to a country other than the person’s home. A third party removal can move someone to a country they have never visited before, have no connections to, and even when they do not speak the language. Below, our Atlanta deportation defense lawyer answers some of the most frequently asked questions we hear.

What Countries Does America Have Agreements With? 

Currently, the U.S. has reached agreements with at least 30 countries, including 12 African states, that have agreed to receive individuals from third countries. These are as follows:

• Cabo Verde
• Cameroon
• Central African Republic
• Democratic Republic of Congo
• Equatorial Guinea
• Eswatini
• Ghana
• Liberia
• Rwanda
• Sierre Leone
• South Sudan
• Uganda

The United States also has similar agreements with at least 15 countries in the Americas. These include:

• Lucia
• Kitts and Nevis
• Paraguay
• Panama
• Mexico
• Honduras
• Guyana
• Guatemala
• El Salvador
• Ecuador
• Dominican Republic
• Dominica
• Costa Rica
• Belize
• Antigua and Barbuda

Are Third Country Removals Legal?

The Immigration and Nationality Act allows the United States government to use third country removals if returning a foreign national to their home country is not possible due to fears of torture or persecution. While many of the agreements have been published following the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), others have remained secret. While some judges have determined certain aspects of the process are not legal, the federal government continues to use its authority to deport individuals to any country willing to accept them.

Do the Third Countries Receive Payment?

Some agreements specifically outline monetary payments in exchange for third countries accepting foreign nationals sent from the U.S. For example, Eswatini agreed to accept 160 individuals from other countries in exchange for $5.1 million to strengthen its migration management capacity. In exchange for $7.5 million, Rwanda agreed to accept 250 foreign nationals.

What are the Concerns Involving Third Country Removals? 

The process of third country removals has raised many concerns from critics. These are mainly as follows:

• Lack of due process: Some critics state that the U.S. has failed to conduct screenings or notify individuals of their destinations before deporting them.
• Risk of return: When migrants are deported to a third country such as Uganda , Costa Rica, or Mexico, they are at risk of being deported back to the same country they fled to escape torture or persecution.
• Human rights violations: Human rights organizations have raised many criticisms regarding human rights violations. These include immigrants being transported in cruel conditions, such as shipping containers, and the high detention rate migrants face when they arrive in a third country.

Our Deportation Defense Lawyer in Atlanta Can Answer Your Questions

If you have questions about third country removals, you need the help of our Atlanta deportation defense lawyer. For a consultation to discuss your needs, please call Shirazi Immigration Law, Inc. today at 404-523-3611. We serve clients in Atlanta, Moultrie, and Dalton, GA and Chattanooga, TN.

Source:

uscis.gov/laws-and-policy/legislation/immigration-and-nationality-act