US deports dozens to Central African Republic, including Afghan man who aided US military

The United States has deported dozens of people to the Central African Republic, including an Afghan national who had previously been granted protection by a US judge from deportation to Afghanistan over fears he could face persecution by the Taliban.

The Associated Press quoted his lawyer, Alma David, as saying that the Afghan man, who is around 20 years old, had been granted protection from deportation to Afghanistan because of concerns over possible persecution by the Taliban.

She said the man’s family in Afghanistan had received threats from the Taliban because of the work carried out by his brothers in support of the US military.

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David added that one of his brothers lives in the United States and had served in the Afghan National Army, which cooperated with US forces before the Taliban seized power in 2021. Another brother was a US-trained pilot who was later killed by the group.

Meanwhile, Savi Arvey, director of policy, refugee and immigrant rights at Human Rights First, confirmed that the deportation flight, which landed on Saturday in the Central African Republic’s capital Bangui, included 12 Afghans and eight Iranians, along with several deportees from Nepal and Nicaragua.

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