The Number of Third Countries Accepting Deportees is Growing

When a person is deported from the United States, they are typically sent back to their country of origin. This is not the case with third-country deportation. Immigrants who are deported from the U.S. to a third country may be sent to a country where they do not have citizenship, do not know the language, and have no family ties. In many instances, deportees have never even been to the country before.

Third-country deportations are used when an individual’s home country refuses to accept them or when a court order prevents the immigrant from returning home. Historically, these types of deportations were quite rare. Today, though, they are becoming more common and at least 35 countries have agreements with the U.S. to accept people the federal government wants removed. Below, our Atlanta deportation defense lawyer explains in greater detail.

The Expanding List of Third Countries Accepting U.S. Deportees 

The method of using third countries to deport immigrants initially began in 2002. At that time, Canada was the only third country that accepted deportees from the U.S. In the last decade, however, the list of countries has grown exponentially and the list of countries only continues to grow. The countries the United States currently has agreements with are as follows:

• Africa: The African countries that currently have an agreement with the U.S. include Burundi, Cameroon, Cabo Verde, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Equatorial Guinea, Liberia, Ghana, Rwanda, Libya, South Sudan, Sierra Leone, and Uganda.
• The Americas: Countries in South America, Latin America, and the Caribbean also have agreements with the U.S. These include the Bahamas, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Ecuador, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Guyana, Mexico, Jamaica, Paraguay, Panama, St. Lucia, and St. Kitts and Nevis.
• Asia: The only two countries in Asia that have agreements with the U.S. are Uzbekistan and Palau.
• Europe: Poland, Moldova, and Kosovo are the three countries in Europe that currently have arrangements with the United States.

What Happens After Someone is Deported to a Third Country?

There are many possible scenarios that can occur after an immigrant is deported to a third country. Those that are known include:

• Incarceration: Many countries forcibly incarcerate immigrants until they can be returned to their home country. El Salvador is one of the most recent examples of this type of arrangement.
• Asylum claims: Some countries purportedly allow immigrants to seek asylum in their country, although this has not always been confirmed.
• Remaining in the third country through other means: Some countries allow immigrants to pursue another type of status if they are ineligible for asylum.

Due to the fact that many agreements have not been disclosed, it is not always known what happens after someone is deported to a third country.

Our Deportation Defense Lawyer in Atlanta Can Advise On Your Case

If you or a loved one is facing removal, it is critical to speak to our Atlanta deportation defense lawyer. For a consultation to discuss your case with our attorney, please call Shirazi Immigration Law, Inc. today at 404-523-3611. We serve clients in Moultrie, Dalton, and Atlanta, GA, as well as Chattanooga, TN.

Source:

usa.gov/deportation