U.S. deports migrants to high-risk Central African Republic

The U.S. government has deported a group of roughly 20 migrants from Afghanistan, Iran, and other nations to the Central African Republic (CAR), a country the State Department warns Americans not to visit due to extreme violence and unrest. Among those deported was an Iranian pro-democracy activist who had received legal protection from an American immigration court. The CAR is one of the poorest and most unstable countries in the world, plagued by decades of armed conflict, human rights abuses, and political instability. The State Department has issued a "Level 4" travel advisory for the CAR, urging U.S. citizens not to travel there for any reason. The advisory warns of risks including unrest, crime, kidnapping, health threats, terrorism, and other dangers. The U.S. official who disclosed the deportation flight requested anonymity, as the deportations have not been officially announced. The deported group included migrants from Armenia and Iraq, in addition to those from Afghanistan and Iran. The Iranian activist, represented by lawyer Emily Trostle, had been granted a "withholding of removal" order by an immigration judge, meaning the U.S. cannot send her back to Iran because it is "more likely than not" she would be persecuted there. Trostle declined to name her client. The Departments of Homeland Security and State, as well as the Central African Republic's embassy in Washington, D.C., were contacted for comment but did not immediately respond.