The administration of US President Donald Trump has deported dozens of people to the Central African Republic, including an Afghan whose family members collaborated with the US military, his lawyer and advocacy groups said.

The Afghan man, in his early 20s, was granted protection against deportation to Afghanistan by a US judge due to fears of persecution by the Taliban. However, he was sent to the Central African Republic, according to his lawyer Alma David.

Advocacy organizations AfghanEvac, the American Civil Liberties Union, and Human Rights First confirmed his deportation. Court documents seen by The Associated Press show that his family in Afghanistan received threats from the Taliban because his brothers supported the US military.

One of his brothers lives in the US and served in the Afghan National Army, which collaborated with US forces before the Taliban seized power in 2021. Another brother was a US-trained pilot who was later killed by the Taliban.

The New York Times identified the Afghan man only as Khalil, and reported that his sister and father also worked alongside US forces. The deportation flight landed in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, on Saturday, carrying 12 Afghans, 8 Iranians, and several people from Nepal and Nicaragua, said Savi Arvey of Human Rights First.

This is the third deportation flight from the US to the Central African Republic this year, according to the rights group. The Trump regime has sent thousands of people to third countries where they have no ties as part of its immigration crackdown. The US State Department's travel advisory warns citizens not to travel to the African country for any reason, citing risks of unrest, crime, kidnapping, health, and 'terrorism'.

Source: www.aljazeera.com