The US has finalized deportation agreements with Honduras and Uganda as a measure to strengthen its efforts against illegal immigration, according to documents provided to the media. Under these new arrangements, Uganda is set to accept an undefined number of migrants from Africa and Asia who had sought asylum at the US-Mexico border, while Honduras will welcome back several hundred deported individuals from Spanish-speaking nations.
This initiative reflects the Trump administration's strategy to incentivize more countries to accept migrants who are not their own citizens. Human rights advocates have expressed significant concern, warning that migrants could face danger upon being sent to nations where they lack safety.
In the agreement, Uganda has reported a willingness to take deported migrants, provided they do not have criminal records; however, the exact number of deportees is yet to be clarified. Honduras's agreement includes provisions for accepting migrant families with children over the next two years, although possibilities exist for increased numbers.
This development is part of a larger trend under the Trump administration, which has sought similar agreements with numerous countries around the world, including those with contentious human rights histories. In a recent announcement, the US State Department confirmed a "safe third country" pact with Paraguay aimed at managing the influx of illegal immigration collaboratively.
Additionally, discussions with various African nations have been ongoing, including a recent commitment from Rwanda to accept up to 250 migrants, contingent on individual approval processes that could raise further concerns about deportations. Recent actions also show Panama and Costa Rica opening their doors to hundreds of migrants from the US, as the administration actively pursues bilateral options.
Since taking office for his second term, Trump has initiated aggressive measures to deport undocumented immigrants, a core promise of his electoral campaign that garnered substantial public backing. A recent Supreme Court ruling paved the way for the continuation of deportations to third-party countries without allowing migrants to contest the potential threats they might face, a decision met with dissent from several justices.
According to human rights organizations and UN experts, such practices of deporting individuals to non-homeland nations may contravene international law, raising legal and ethical dilemmas surrounding these new policies.
