FREETOWN, May 25 (Xinhua) -- The Human Rights Defenders Network-Sierra Leone (HRDN-SL) on Monday expressed grave concern over Sierra Leone's agreement with the United States to receive deportees from across West Africa.
In a press release issued on Monday, the HRDN-SL said the arrangement raises serious concerns under international human rights law, refugee law, and African regional human rights standards.
The HRDN-SL said the government has not yet provided adequate public information regarding the terms of the agreement, the legal status of deportees, or the protections available to them while in Sierra Leone.
"We are particularly concerned that vulnerable individuals may face arbitrary detention, family separation, or other forms of inhuman treatment without adequate legal safeguards and independent oversight," the statement said.
The organization warned that the agreement could violate international legal principles, including the principle of non-refoulement under the 1951 Refugee Convention and the United Nations Convention against Torture, which prohibit the transfer of individuals to countries where they may face persecution or serious harm.
The HRDN-SL also raised concerns over the potential risk of statelessness for deportees unable to return safely to their countries of origin.
On May 20, Sierra Leone received the country's first batch of migrants deported from the U.S., who were originally from Senegal, Ghana, Guinea, and Nigeria. ■
