US Deportees Held in Equatorial Guinea Were Beaten by Police, Lawyers Say

The United States is deporting migrants to countries other than their own and seeking similar deals in the Caribbean. Lawyers now say two such deportees were beaten by police in Equatorial Guinea.

Ahmed Soliman, an Egyptian, and Samson Birhane, an Eritrean, were arrested and beaten in Malabo, their lawyers said on 18 September. The Gleaner published the Associated Press report on 19 September, as Caribbean governments weigh similar deals with Washington.

Why This Matters

The Trump administration has deported thousands of people to nearly two dozen countries other than their own, the report said. Immigration lawyers call these third-country deportations a loophole to push asylum seekers back to their home countries indirectly.

The policy reaches the Caribbean, where Washington is negotiating with several CARICOM member states, The Gleaner reported separately. CARICOM is the Caribbean Community, the regional bloc whose members include Jamaica.

On 18 September, a Boston appeals court largely upheld a ruling requiring notice before such removals, as The Rio Times reported. Removals can still proceed after notice and a chance to object, and DHS says the ruling is not yet in effect.

What the Lawyers Say

The US has deported over 40 people to Equatorial Guinea under an opaque US$7.5 million deal, AP reported. AP said President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo turned the Bamy Hotel near Malabo into a prison for asylum seekers.

Police arrested the two men on 11 September, accusing them of breaking a mirror, according to their lawyers. Officers later brought them back with bags over their heads and beat them in front of other detainees, the lawyers said.

The lawyers believe the arrests were retaliation for the men raising alarm about their detention conditions. Amnesty International said the pair are held in an overcrowded police cell and cannot speak to their lawyer.

Both men had lived in the United States for decades before their deportation, according to the report. Twelve deportees have been sent back to their countries of origin, including four Ethiopians this month, lawyers said.

A Destination With a Poor Rights Record

Equatorial Guinea is a small oil producer in Central Africa with about 1.8 million people. Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo has ruled it since a 1979 coup, making him Africa’s longest-serving leader.

Oil was discovered in 1995, but the earnings have largely not reached the population. Freedom House, a US-based democracy watchdog, rates the country 5 out of 100 and “Not Free”.

It gives the country zero out of four for protection from illegitimate use of physical force. Freedom House reports that a detained opposition member died in custody after allegedly suffering torture.

Rights groups have documented rising police violence at the Bamy Hotel, AP reported. That includes an incident involving masked officers at the facility on 31 July, according to the same report.

The Legal Fight in the United States

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued guidance on 30 March 2025 allowing such removals with minimal notice. Immigration enforcement memos from July 2025 set that notice at 24 hours, or six hours in urgent cases.

US District Judge Brian Murphy of Massachusetts ruled against the policy in a judgment dated 25 February 2026. The Supreme Court had paused an earlier injunction in the same case, D.V.D. v.

DHS, in June 2025; the First Circuit panel in Boston affirmed Murphy’s judgment unanimously, in an opinion by Judge Seth Aframe. It said migrants need “effective notice and a meaningful chance” to claim fear of persecution or torture.

More than 25,000 people faced third-country removal, with Mexico receiving about 20,000 of them. Most came from Cuba, Venezuela, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua, and DHS may seek Supreme Court review.

The Caribbean Negotiations

Antigua and Barbuda’s ambassador in Washington, Sir Ronald Sanders, said talks on receiving deportees will resume at US request. He said no agreement has been reached and no transfer has been authorised.

A parliamentary resolution preserves the government’s authority to approve or reject each proposed person individually. It also rules out any automatic or open-ended programme, according to The Gleaner.

Prime Minister Gaston Browne, Attorney General Steadroy Benjamin and Foreign Minister Chet Greene will oversee the talks. Any transfer would also require agreed arrangements on documents, housing, legal status, security and funding.

The numbers under discussion have been small, according to reporting in Antigua. An August 2025 embassy letter proposed a cap of 12 people a year, including immediate family, the Antigua Observer reported.

It sought temporary status of up to 24 months, US funding for support costs, and exclusion of people with criminal convictions. By July 2026, opposition leader Jamale Pringle said the draft memorandum set a maximum of 10 people a year.

Browne has argued that the plan involves lawfully screened third-country nationals, not deportees, the Observer reported. The government published a white paper on the proposal ahead of a special parliamentary sitting in July.

Resistance in the Region

Pringle said the arrangement was “a done deal” before Parliament had a chance to weigh in. Barbuda MP Trevor Walker also accused the government of withholding information on the proposal.

Opposition senator Jonathan Wehner warned that the deal could damage the country’s tourism brand. “That’s going to affect our tourist product,” he said after a party town hall in July.

Ralph Gonsalves, former prime minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, said in February he had rejected a similar US request. He argued that even small numbers would mean little to Washington but create outsized security risks for small states.

What It Means If You Follow the Caribbean

For Caribbean citizens, the Equatorial Guinea case shows what can happen when safeguards are vague or unenforced. Antigua’s insistence on case-by-case approval is an attempt to avoid that outcome, at least on paper.

For tourism investors, the debate matters because opposition figures link the deal to how visitors see the country. Wehner warned that it could prompt negative US travel advisories, the Antigua Observer reported.

For migrants in the United States with ties to the region, the Boston ruling could restore notice before removal. It does not stop removals, and it is not yet in effect while DHS weighs an appeal.

What Is Not Yet Known

The published reports include no response from Equatorial Guinea’s government to the allegations. It is not known whether any Jamaicans or other Caribbean nationals are among the deportees in Malabo.

The reports do not say which other CARICOM states are negotiating with Washington. The lawyers said they have been unable to reach the two men since their transfer to La Luna police station.

It is also unclear whether Washington accepted any of the conditions Antigua proposed in 2025. No date has been announced for the renewed talks between Antigua and the United States.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources: The Gleaner/AP, US deportees to Equatorial Guinea arrested and beaten, ABC News/AP, the same report, The Gleaner, Antigua to resume talks with US on deportee deal, The Rio Times, Boston appeals court ruling on third-country deportations, Wikipedia, Equatorial Guinea, Freedom House, Equatorial Guinea country report, Antigua Observer, embassy letter details terms in proposed US arrangement, Antigua Observer, third-country nationals deal already settled, says Pringle, Antigua Observer, MP wants transparency on US proposal, Antigua Observer, senator warns deal could hurt tourism brand, Antigua Observer, Gonsalves says he turned down US third-country deportees