On 7 April, the US Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration could continue deporting alleged Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador’s “supermax” CECOT prison, referred to by observers as a “human rights black hole.” In March, more than 260 people were deported and placed in the facility under the US’s controversial agreement with El […]
Deportation
Panama: A “Bridge” Serving Trump’s Sweeping Deportation Plans
The US has deported hundreds of people to countries like Panama, Costa Rica, and El Salvador as part of the Trump administration’s plan to deport “millions.” On arrival in Panama, deportees have been detained in several ad hoc facilities where reports highlight a serious disregard for fundamental human rights. […]
Guest Opinion: “The Dominican Republic Must End Collective Deportations of Haitians”
Guest Post by Bridget Wooding (OBMICA) On 2 October, the Dominican Republic’s Migration Directorate of the Ministry of the Interior and Police announced an upscaled operation “to deport 10,000 Haitians each week.” This decision had been taken by the Defence and National Security Council, headed up by President Luis Abinader. According to the Council’s directive, […]
Qatar: Persistent Concerns Regarding the Treatment of Migrant Workers Despite Reforms
Qatar has adopted important reforms to protect the rights of migrants workers, but weak implementation and ongoing violations reveal inherent problems in the country’s labour system. Recent reports by human rights groups point to persistent exploitation of workers as well as other human rights abuses, including arbitrary detention and deportation. Abuses and Exploitation of Migrant […]
Panama Plans to Deport Irregular Migrants with Financial Support from the US
Panama’s government is planning to ramp up deportations of migrants who reach the country irregularly through the Darién Gap at the border between Colombia and Panama. The jungle trek is a highly dangerous route which sees hundreds of thousands of migrants, including children, crossing every year, while also making many vulnerable to violence, sexual abuse, […]
Tunisia: Detention and “Desert Dumping” of Sub-Saharan Refugees
With financial support from the European Union, Tunisia is systematically undertaking anti-migrant and racially motivated operations, including “desert dumps” and unlawful arbitrary expulsions of migrants and refugees to remote areas near Libya and Algeria, according to recent reports. Violence Against Migrants and Arrests of Human Rights Defenders The growing number of reports revealing abuses suffered […]
An EU-Lebanon Refugee Deal Amidst An Unprecedented Crackdown on Refugees
The EU’s recently signed deal with Lebanon to provide financial assistance for hosting refugees and boosting border security comes as Lebanese authorities pursue an “unprecedented” crackdown targeting Syrian refugees. Human rights groups fear that the deal will keep refugees out of Europe while facilitating their deportation to Syria, in violation of human rights obligations. In […]
United States: Immigration Detention Set to Expand Despite Growing Calls to Reduce Detainee Numbers Amidst Reports of Mistreatment and Terrible Detention Conditions
A number of civil society groups in the United States have recently published highly critical reports alleging abusive and inhuman conditions at privately operated immigration detention centres. These include reports of abuse and mistreatment of vulnerable people, medical neglect, and failure to provide access to legal assistance. Private prison operators are nevertheless planning important extensions […]
Bulgaria: The Alarming Case of Detained Saudi Journalist Abdulrahman al-Khalidi
Bulgaria’s extremely long immigration detention of a Saudi law student and human rights activist reveals the degrading conditions in which migrants and asylum seekers are detained in the country. It also reflects a broader trend in Europe and globally: the de facto use of immigration detention for purposes that may have nothing to do with […]
Senegal: Blocking the West African Migration Route
The West African migration route leading to Spain’s Canary Islands saw a major spike in traffic in 2023, increasing by 161 percent compared to 2022, according to the European Union border agency, Frontex. As most of these crossings originate in Senegal and involve mainly young migrants, many under the age of 18, the country’s efforts […]
