US Deports Afghan Man With Family Ties to American Military to CAR

The United States carried out a deportation flight to the Central African Republic on Saturday, sending dozens of individuals to Bangui, including an Afghan man whose family has deep ties to the American military effort in Afghanistan.

Lawyers identified the Afghan deportee as a man in his early twenties who had been granted protection from removal to Afghanistan by a US judge. The court had ruled that he faced a credible risk of persecution by the Taliban, according to his attorney, Alma David.

Court documents reviewed by the wire service show that the man's family in Afghanistan had received threats from the Taliban because of the work his brothers performed in support of US forces. One brother, who now lives in the United States, served in the Afghan National Army, which cooperated with the American military before the Taliban's takeover in 2021. Another brother, a US-trained pilot, was killed by the Taliban.

Savi Arvey, director of policy, refugee and immigrant rights at Human Rights First, said the flight included 12 Afghans and 8 Iranians, along with several individuals from Nepal and Nicaragua. The deportation raises concerns about the fate of individuals with documented ties to US operations, particularly when they are sent to countries with which they have no prior connection.