BANGUI — The Trump administration plans to deport Iranian nationals and other foreign migrants to the Central African Republic. The first flight under this agreement is expected to carry approximately 20 individuals, including Syrian and Afghan nationals, according to a government official briefed on the matter.

Hundreds of migrants could be deported to the country through this agreement, a government official said. The deportees are expected to be housed in residential apartments in Bangui, and officials stated they are not expected to face immediate repatriation to their countries of origin. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated last week that all deportees would receive full due process.

Emily Trostle, a lawyer, represents two Iranian women who are slated for deportation under the plan. Both women arrived in the U.S. in November 2024 and were detained. A U.S. immigration judge granted both women withholding of removal protection, a status requiring a judicial finding that applicants face a greater than 50 percent risk of persecution or torture in their home country. Trostle said, "One is a Christian convert, and the other is a pro-democracy activist." She stated the two Iranian women face potential torture and persecution if returned to Iran.

An attorney representing a Turkish national stated the individual, who fled political persecution and holds withholding of removal status in the U.S., may also be deported under the agreement. The administration has utilized previous third-country deportation agreements, including one with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. U.S. officials have defended these agreements as lawful. Trump has previously spoken about the Iranian people, stating, "I thought the Iranian people should rise up against the government in Iran if a ceasefire were declared, but understood that it was too dangerous for them to do so."

A spokesperson for the International Organization for Migration said the agency will provide post-arrival humanitarian assistance to migrants arriving in Bangui at the request of the Central African government. The agency also stated it is not involved in the deportation flights and will provide aid "on a strictly voluntary basis and respecting applicable international standards." The U.S. government allocated $85 million to the agency for operations in the country this year. President Faustin-Archange Touadera signed peace agreements with multiple rebel groups in the country.