Deportees Sent to Equatorial Guinea Instead of Liberia

In a recent incident, six individuals deported by the United States to Liberia declined to disembark from their plane, leading to their subsequent transfer to Equatorial Guinea. This event reflects ongoing deportation practices under the Trump administration, where asylum seekers are sent to third countries with which secret agreements exist.

The individuals involved in this situation include four Cuban men, a Brazilian man, and a Cameroonian woman. These deportees resisted leaving the plane in Liberia, stating concerns for their safety if they stayed in a country that was not their own. A Honduran passenger confirmed this refusal, citing fear of danger as a primary reason and noting subsequent separation from the rest of the passengers who disembarked out of fear of being forcibly removed.

Meredyth Yoon, litigation director at Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta, commented on the deportees’ situation, indicating that they were misled about a return to the U.S., only to find themselves in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea’s capital. Yoon described the scene upon their arrival as chaotic and distressing, particularly noting the dire conditions of some deportees, such as a Cameroonian woman and a Cuban man with medical needs. A lack of medical staff at the hotel where they are held complicates matters further.

The conditions at the hotel have declined, with reports of food being withheld and abuse by guards.

A $7.5 million agreement with Equatorial Guinea has resulted in the hotel being used as a holding facility. The country’s leader has transformed the hotel, owned by his family, into a confinement area for U.S. deportees. The government of Equatorial Guinea has yet to comment on these practices.

Carlos Rodríguez López, one of the Cubans transferred to Equatorial Guinea, previously resided in Miami Gardens, Florida. His wife, Igrayne Ribot, expressed shock and distress upon learning of his deportation, stating that the news was sudden and unexpected. In a video call from Africa, Rodríguez López relayed his location, leading Ribot to describe the situation as terrifying.