A federal judge in the United States has issued a ruling directing the Trump administration to assist in the repatriation of an Egyptian man who was deported to Equatorial Guinea earlier this year and subsequently detained there.
Ahmed Soliman is among a group of migrants who were transferred from the U.S. to African nations as part of third-country deportation agreements, aimed at expediting the deportation process.
Soliman reported mistreatment by Equatorial Guinean law enforcement officers, with video evidence showing police officers brandishing firearms at a group of migrants, including Soliman, at the Hotel Bamy in Malabo, where they were being held.
Following media coverage of the incident, Soliman was taken into custody and has been held without communication at a police facility known for detaining human rights activists.
In a recent court ruling, U.S. Judge John C. Hinderaker mandated that the Department of Homeland Security facilitate Soliman’s release from detention and arrange for his return to the U.S., including providing necessary travel documentation.
The Department of Homeland Security and Equatorial Guinea have not responded to requests for comment on Soliman’s case. DHS stated it was not responsible for the treatment of individuals outside the U.S. and had received assurances from Equatorial Guinea regarding the safety of deportees.
Soliman, 31, expressed concerns about facing persecution in Egypt due to his sexual orientation. He arrived in the U.S. as a child on a religious visa and later jeopardized his residency status by committing a criminal offense, resulting in a prison sentence.
Despite ongoing legal proceedings related to his deportation, Soliman was removed from the U.S. earlier this year before his asylum claims could be fully assessed.
According to Human Rights Watch, hundreds of individuals have been deported to African countries where they lack citizenship or habitual residence, raising concerns about their safety and well-being.
Efforts to challenge the practice of deporting individuals to third countries are ongoing, with human rights activists calling for a halt to such deportations due to the potential risks and hardships faced by those affected.
The U.S. Supreme Court is set to review the Trump administration’s policy of deporting migrants to countries other than their own, following legal challenges and concerns raised by various groups regarding the legality and implications of this practice.
