US ‘to deport’ African migrants to Equatorial Guinea

US ‘to deport’ African migrants to Equatorial Guinea

The United States is exploring the possibility of deporting African migrants to Equatorial Guinea, according to a senior official in the Central African nation.

“I confirm that there was a conversation in which the United States expressed its intentions, but no conclusion was reached,” Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue said in a statement posted on his X account Wednesday.

Mangue noted that in return for accepting migrants from the U.S., he had proposed that the Trump administration provide support for housing, basic needs, and social reintegration programs for the deportees.

The potential deal has stirred concern among some citizens in Malabo, the country’s capital, where there are fears that the incoming migrants could include individuals with criminal records. However, Mangue clarified that Equatorial Guinea would screen potential returnees.

“In my opinion, there could be an agreement, but we choose the people we can welcome based on their respective profiles,” he said.

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Last month, U.S. officials announced they were actively pursuing agreements with nations willing to receive third-country nationals, part of former President Donald Trump’s pledge to ramp up deportations of undocumented immigrants.

Despite the vice president’s openness to dialogue, some critics say the proposal conflicts with the government’s recent actions. The Spain-based outlet Radio Macuto, which has ties to Equatorial Guinea’s political opposition, said the administration’s tone “seems benevolent” but stands in contrast to a crackdown on migrants already in the country.

The report alleged that authorities have carried out arbitrary arrests and forced removals of sub-Saharan Africans—many of whom have lived in Equatorial Guinea for years. Nigerians, Cameroonians, and Chadians were reportedly detained without due process and deported abruptly.

“How can a regime that expels poor, settled migrants now be willing to take in others deported from the US,” the outlet asked.

Tensions flared in mid-April after Malabo deported more than 200 Cameroonian nationals, prompting an official protest from the government in Yaoundé, which summoned Equatorial Guinea’s ambassador. In response, Equatorial Guinea defended its actions, saying it had expelled “undocumented migrants.”

US ‘to deport’ African migrants to Equatorial Guinea