United Nations experts warn of human rights risks in U.S. migration outsourcing

More than 20 United Nations experts have warned that United States migration outsourcing agreements are exposing migrants to increased risks of torture, persecution, and forced disappearances. The experts, led by Gehad Madi, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, stated that these schemes violate the customary principle of non-refoulement.

According to the experts, the U.S. government has utilized a $410 million budget to facilitate these agreements, resulting in the deportation of at least 23,000 individuals to approximately 29 different countries and territories. The experts noted a lack of transparency in these deals, which often bypass democratic oversight and independent human rights monitoring.

Some agreements reportedly involve only temporary reception before migrants are expelled to a third country. The UN experts have called on the involved nations to immediately suspend these agreements and restore access to fair and effective asylum procedures.