News & Reports
Monthly reports on torture prevention, OPCAT ratifications, UN treaty body sessions, and human rights documentation — sourced from OHCHR, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and ICET monitoring work.
US Court Sets Aside Third-Country Removal Policy; Appeal Court Stays the Judgment
A US district court held in February 2026 that people facing removal to a third country are entitled to meaningful notice and an opportunity to raise a country-specific claim. The judgment was stayed on appeal in March 2026.
DHS v. D.V.D., No. 24A1153 (U.S. June 23, 2025); D.V.D. v. Department of Homeland Security, No. 25-cv-10676-BEM, 2026 WL 521557 (D. Mass. Feb. 25, 2026); First Circuit stay of 16 March 2026; DHS policy memorandum, 'Guidance Regarding Third Country Removals', 30 March 2025; ICE guidance of 9 July 2025.Law Societies in Uganda Challenge the Arrival of Twelve Deportees From the United States
Al Jazeera reported that twelve people transferred from the United States arrived at Entebbe on 2 April 2026, and that the Uganda Law Society and East Africa Law Society brought a court challenge.
Al Jazeera, 'Legal groups condemn arrival of a dozen deportees from US to Uganda', 2 April 2026.Amnesty International Documents Continued Transfers to Eswatini Under US Removal Arrangement
Amnesty International has documented successive transfers of third-country nationals from the United States to Eswatini, where it reports the men are held at a maximum-security prison without ties to the country.
Amnesty International, 'Eswatini: Arrival of four more men under US unlawful removal deal', 11 March 2026; Amnesty International, 'Eswatini: Supreme Court ruling on legal access offers limited relief for US deportees', April 2026; Amnesty International, 'Eswatini: Fourth US third-country removal operation raises fresh human rights concerns', July 2026; Human Rights Watch, 'US/Africa: Expulsion Deals Flout Rights', 23 September 2025.Special Rapporteur on Torture: Assessments Must Cover the Whole Chain of Transfer
On 28 July 2026 the UN Special Rapporteur on torture addressed states overhauling their removal systems, emphasising individualised assessment and analysis of the entire chain of transfer.
OHCHR, 'No shortcuts around torture ban as governments overhaul removal systems, UN expert warns', Special Rapporteur on torture, 28 July 2026.UN Experts Urge Torture-Risk Assessment Before Any Transfer to a Third Country
Seven United Nations special procedures mandates issued a joint statement on 8 July 2025 urging that torture risks be assessed before any person is transferred to a country other than their own.
OHCHR, 'UN experts alarmed by resumption of US deportations to third countries, warn authorities to assess risks of torture', joint statement of seven special procedures mandates, 8 July 2025.Withholding and CAT Deferral: What the Protection Covers, and What It Does Not
Withholding of removal and deferral under the Convention Against Torture are findings about one named country. Understanding that limit is essential when a transfer to a different country is proposed.
Convention against Torture, art. 3; 8 U.S.C. § 1231(b)(2)-(3); 8 C.F.R. §§ 208.16, 208.17, 208.18; Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998, § 2242; American Immigration Council, third-country removals fact sheet.Monitoring Organisations Document Detention of Transferred People on Arrival
Human Rights Watch and the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants have documented what happens to people on arrival in receiving countries. Conditions on arrival bear directly on whether a transfer is consistent with Article 3.
Human Rights Watch, 'US/Africa: Expulsion Deals Flout Rights', 23 September 2025; U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, Third Country Deportations Tracker, figures as recorded to June 2026.