Trump Administration Plans to Send Iranian Asylum Seekers to Central African Republic

The Trump administration is planning to transfer a group of Iranian asylum seekers from the United States to the Central African Republic (CAR), a country that has long struggled with armed conflict, political instability, and extreme poverty, according to two attorneys involved in the matter and a U.S. government official.

Among those facing relocation are two Iranian women who could face persecution or threats to their lives if returned to Iran. Their attorney, Emily Trostle, said one of the women converted to Christianity, while the other has been accused by Iranian authorities of engaging in anti-government activities.

The U.S. State Department has not confirmed whether President Donald Trump has made a final decision regarding the plan. Officials from the Central African Republic, including President Faustin-Archange Touadéra, have also declined to comment publicly.

According to Trostle, the two women have been detained by U.S. authorities since arriving in Washington in November 2024. After applying for asylum, U.S. officials determined that they qualified for special protection measures, indicating that they face a greater than 50 percent risk of persecution or torture if returned to Iran.

A Trump administration official said that approximately 20 individuals could be sent to the Central African Republic on the first flight under the proposed agreement. In addition to Iranians, the group may include Syrian and Afghan nationals.

The attorneys involved said the transfer could take place as early as Thursday local time, although delays remain possible. A Turkish national who fled political persecution is also expected to be included in the group.

The administration has described the effort as part of a broader strategy to remove asylum seekers through so-called “third-country deportation agreements,” under which migrants are transferred to countries other than their nations of origin. The neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo is also reportedly included in similar arrangements.

While Washington maintains that the agreements are lawful, human rights advocates and immigration attorneys have criticized them as lacking transparency. They argue that some deportees have eventually been returned to the United States after facing difficulties in the receiving countries.

The controversy comes amid heightened tensions involving Iran. Following joint U.S.-Israeli military strikes against Iran earlier this year, President Trump stated in April that Iranians themselves should take part in opposition movements against their government, despite the risks involved.

Ali Rahnama, interim legal director of the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund, criticized the administration’s approach, saying it is contradictory for the United States to express support for Iranians seeking freedom while simultaneously attempting to relocate asylum seekers to a country plagued by poverty and conflict.

According to a report published Thursday by The New York Times, Trump administration officials said deportees sent to the Central African Republic would be housed in modern apartments in the capital, Bangui, and would not be directly returned to Iran. The agreement could eventually be expanded to include hundreds of migrants from multiple countries.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) stated that all deportees would receive full legal due process. A spokesperson for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said the agency would provide humanitarian assistance to migrants in Bangui at the request of the Central African government but would not be directly involved in deportation operations.

The United States has allocated approximately $85 million this year to support IOM migration-related activities in the Central African Republic. Since gaining independence from France in 1960, the country has experienced repeated cycles of political instability and armed conflict. As a result, an estimated 5.5 million people continue to live below the poverty line.