A Controversial Payment

The United States government has transferred $7.5 million directly to the government of Equatorial Guinea to accept non-citizen deportees, a move confirmed by public data and senior US congressional officials. The payment, which originated from the Migration and Refugee Assistance (MRA) emergency fund, represents a significant policy shift, repurposing funds historically designated for international refugee crises to facilitate deportations. The deal was arranged under the Trump administration as part of a broader push to secure third-country deportation agreements.

In a letter dated Monday, 10 November 2025, to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a high-ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, described the payment as "highly unusual." She highlighted that the sum is more than 275 percent greater than all US foreign assistance provided to the nation over the past eight years combined, which was previously channeled exclusively through vetted non-governmental partners, not the government itself.

A Regime Plagued by Corruption and Abuse

The choice of partner has drawn intense scrutiny. Equatorial Guinea is ruled by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, who has been in power since 1979, making him Africa's longest-serving president. The nation, though rich in oil, suffers from extreme inequality, with a large portion of its population living in poverty while the ruling family enjoys a lavish lifestyle. According to Transparency International's 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index, Equatorial Guinea ranks 173rd out of 180 countries.

The U.S. State Department's own 2023 Human Rights Report noted that "corruption at all levels of government was a severe problem" and that the president and his inner circle amassed personal fortunes from state revenues. The president's son and Vice President, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, has faced legal action for corruption in France and the US, forfeiting tens of millions of dollars in assets, including a mansion in Malibu and luxury cars. Human rights organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have extensively documented abuses in the country, including torture, arbitrary detention, and the persecution of political activists.

Implications for Africa and Global Migration Policy

This agreement is part of a wider, contentious US strategy to outsource its migration management by striking deals with other nations to accept deportees who are not their own citizens. Similar agreements have been pursued or reached with other African countries, including Rwanda, Uganda, Eswatini, and South Sudan.

The policy echoes the United Kingdom's now-cancelled plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, a strategy that also involved substantial payments to an African nation to handle migrants. These arrangements have been criticized by human rights advocates for potentially violating international laws, such as the principle of non-refoulement, which forbids returning individuals to a country where they would be in likely danger of persecution. The African Union's rights body has expressed concern over such deals, warning against policies that risk turning the continent into a “drop-off zone” for arbitrary expulsions.

Senator Shaheen's letter raises critical questions about oversight and the potential for misuse of US taxpayer funds, given Equatorial Guinea's record of corruption and official complicity in human trafficking. The State Department's 2025 Trafficking in Persons Report cited “significant concern” over these issues. Concerns remain about what protections, if any, are in place to prevent the deportees from facing human rights abuses or being trafficked upon their arrival in Equatorial Guinea.

As of Tuesday, 11 November 2025, the U.S. State Department has defended its immigration policies as a top priority but has not commented on the specific diplomatic communications regarding the payment. The deal underscores a transactional approach to foreign policy and migration, raising profound ethical questions and setting a precedent that could have far-reaching implications for US-Africa relations and the global framework for protecting migrants and refugees.