WASHINGTON – A purported plan detailed in a document reportedly prepared in anticipation of five African heads of states’ visit to the US this week for President Donald Trump’s Africa summit, suggests that the United States of America may be toying with the idea of sending some asylum seekers to their home countries or country of former habitual residents.
By Rodney D. Sieh, [email protected]
The document first reported by the Wall Street Journal and now in possession of FrontPageAfrica is formatted for US embassies, on behalf of the Government of the United States of America, and the Government of foreign countries refered indivudually as a “party” and collectively as the “Parties”.
The agreement seeks to ensure the dignified, safe and timely transfer of asylum seekers from the United States to a foreign country) of third country nationals present in the United States, seeking protection.
The document states: “The United States of America shall in its complete discretion propose to the Governmet of (foreign country) the transfer of such third country nationals, and the Government of (Foreign Country) shall in its complete discretion consider accepting such a proposal in whole or in part. Both Parties’ actions under this agreement shall be in accordance with their obligation under the 1951 Convention Relating to the Statues of Refugees, done at Geneva on July 28 1951; the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel , inhumane or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, adopted in New York on December 10, 1984.; and any other respective international obligations, national constitutions, laws, regulations, and immigration and visa policies of the parties, including consideration by the Government (of foreign country) of request by these third country nationals for asylum, refugee protection, or equivalent of temporary protection.”
What the Americans Are Saying
Prior to this weeks summit, chatters in Washington and amongst citizens of the five countries feared that the US was inviting the five heads of states in a bid to demand that they accept deportees to their respective countries.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with FrontPageAfrica Thursday, President Joseph Boakai explained that contrary to what many were speculating, the US did not force any of the visiting countries to accept deportees.
What was discussed, President Boakai averred, was the issue of asylum seekers.
Said President Boakai: “What the Americans are saying is that they have asylum seekers that have been here for years and they would like for those that have already crossed the border to be sent out of the country elsewhere, they are not forcing anybody but they want for us to know that this is a concern they have and they are asking how can we contribute or how can we help and we have a show them that the relationship is an equal concern. But it’s something that we have to think about and when they begin to ask us we will know how to respond to it.”
The document agrees with President Boakai regarding the issue of force. It states: “The Government of Foreign Country agrees not to return any person transferred to Foreign Country by the Government of the United States of America to their home country or country of former habitual residence until a final decision had been made regarding any procedure, consistent with its irrelevant obligation, to resolve the status of those who may abandon pending claims or fail to seek protection. The Government of the United States of America shall not transfer unaccompanied minors pursuant to this Agreement.”
Agreement: Parties Commit to Resolve
The agreement also states that the parties shall develop operating procedures to assist with the implementation of this Agreement. “In the event, of a conflict of interpretation or implementation, the Parties commit to resolve such matters through dialogue or diplomatic channels.”
On Thursday, Mark Toner, departing US Ambassador to Liberia, told FrontPageAfrica that he wasn’t sure whether the issue of the deportees was brought up in the meeting between President Trump and the African heads of states visiting the US this week, but emphasized the Trump administration’s rigid immigration policies.
“What I can say more broadly is this administration is very serious about illegal immigration and they’re looking at all kinds of methods and working with all kinds of partners in ways to combat that. And you know, that is a sovereign nation’s right. And it’s also any nation like Liberia’s, right to either agree or not to agree with, for example to take the deportees or others back into their soil. How I feel personally about it is not important.”
The document appeared to suggest that the parties were not binded to an agreement. “Either Party may terminate or suspend this agreement at any time by nofifying the other Party in writing. The Parties may agree in writing to any amendments to this agreement, and such amendment shall constitute an integral part of this Agreement shall be interpreted in such a way that commits the disbursement or allocation of funds by the Parties. The implementation of the agreement shall be subject to the availability of the funds and technical capacity of each party.”
The Wall Street Journal reported this week that current and former U.S. officials sent communications to the leaders of the five countries – Liberia, Senegal, Mauritania, Gabon and Guinea-Bissau, requesting that they take in migrants, while underscoring the overlap between the administration’s aggressive deportation campaign and its foreign policy.
President Trump, in meeting with the leaders this week, expressed the hope that the number of visas overstays could be brought down.
In recent months, the Trump administration has been looking for additional countries to take migrants since striking a deal with Panama in February, under which a planeload of more than 100 migrants, mostly from the Middle East, was sent to the Central American nation.
The administration in May, sought to send eight migrants to South Sudan, only one of whom was born there. The deportees, according to the Trump administration,swere previously convicted of crimes ranging from robbery to sexual assault and murder.
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