Asylum seekers deported from the United States are being held inside a luxury hotel in Equatorial Guinea that has effectively been converted into a detention facility under a confidential agreement between Washington and the Central African nation, according to an Associated Press investigation. The arrangement has intensified scrutiny of the Trump administration’s expanding use of third-country deportation agreements involving countries with poor human rights records.
Associated Press journalists who visited the Bamy Hotel in Malabo reported that at least 32 asylum seekers have been detained there since late 2025 after being deported from the United States. The report stated that many of the detainees had previously received protection from U.S. immigration judges before being transferred to Equatorial Guinea under a reported $7.5 million agreement between the two governments.
The detainees reportedly include people from Angola, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Mauritania. According to lawyers interviewed by AP, at least 25 of those held at the hotel have already been returned to their countries of origin despite fears of persecution, imprisonment or violence upon return.
Third-Country Deportation Policy Draws Criticism
Human rights advocates and immigration lawyers have criticized the growing use of third-country deportation agreements, arguing that the practice can circumvent protections granted through asylum proceedings.
AP reporting stated that the Trump administration has entered similar migration arrangements with multiple countries across Africa and other developing regions as part of a broader immigration enforcement strategy. Immigration advocates cited in the investigation argued that deporting asylum seekers to countries where they have no legal status or support networks creates indirect pressure to return to dangerous home countries.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson told AP that Washington remains committed to ending “illegal and mass immigration” but declined to comment on details of the Equatorial Guinea agreement. Authorities in Equatorial Guinea did not respond to requests for comment, according to the investigation.
The AP report described detainees as living under constant surveillance while facing uncertainty over their future legal status. Although no widespread physical abuse was reported, asylum seekers interviewed by the news organization described severe psychological distress and pressure from authorities to accept repatriation.
Human Rights Concerns Surround Equatorial Guinea
The arrangement has drawn additional concern because of Equatorial Guinea’s longstanding record of political repression and human rights abuses.
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President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo has ruled the oil-rich Central African nation for decades, and international rights groups as well as U.S. government reports have repeatedly accused the government of corruption, arbitrary detention and suppression of dissent. AP reporting noted that the Bamy Hotel is owned by the ruling family.
The investigation also highlighted the close economic relationship between Equatorial Guinea and the United States despite longstanding criticism of the country’s governance record. U.S. energy companies remain major investors in the country’s oil sector, while Washington has continued military and diplomatic cooperation with Malabo.
Several detainees interviewed by AP described deteriorating mental and physical health conditions inside the hotel. One East African asylum seeker said he feared being imprisoned or killed if deported back to his home country. The individual stated he had suffered from malaria and typhoid while detained and described growing despair over his uncertain future.
International Oversight Remains Unclear
Representatives from the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration and the UN refugee agency reportedly visited the hotel shortly after some deportees arrived, but detainees told AP they received little follow-up assistance afterward. Equatorial Guinea does not maintain a formal asylum system, complicating efforts for deportees seeking legal protection.
International migration researchers have warned that expanding deportation agreements involving authoritarian governments may weaken established asylum protections under international law. Separate reporting and migration monitoring groups have documented similar arrangements involving countries including Eswatini, Rwanda and Paraguay.
The remaining asylum seekers held at the Bamy Hotel reportedly continue to face pressure to return to their countries of origin. Authorities have not publicly clarified how long the detainees may remain in Equatorial Guinea or whether additional deportation transfers are planned.
