The United States has deported dozens of people to the Central African Republic, including a young Afghan whose family members had worked with US forces, according to his lawyer and human rights organizations.

The Afghan man, who is in his early 20s, had been protected by a US court from being sent back to Afghanistan, his lawyer, Alma David, said.

AfghanEvac, which supports Afghans who assisted the United States, as well as the American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights First, confirmed that he was among those deported.

One of his brothers, who now lives in the United States, served in the former Afghan National Army alongside US forces. Another brother was a US-trained pilot.

The New York Times, which referred to the Afghan man as Khalil, reported that his father and sister had also worked with US forces.

The deportation flight arrived in Bangui, the Central African Republic’s capital, on Saturday. It carried 12 Afghans and eight Iranians, as well as several nationals from Nepal and Nicaragua, according to Savi Arvey of Human Rights First.

Human Rights First said the flight was the third deportation operation from the United States to the Central African Republic this year.

The deportations are part of the Trump administration’s broader immigration crackdown, which has included sending migrants to countries with which they have little or no connection under agreements reached with third governments.

The US State Department currently advises Americans against traveling to the Central African Republic, warning of potential risks including unrest, crime, kidnapping, health concerns and terrorism.

Members of the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights are set to discuss the return of Afghan refugees and asylum seekers from the EU to Afghanistan in Brussels on Thursday.

The meeting follows recent talks between European Commission officials and representatives appointed by the Islamic Emirate.

European lawmakers will examine the return of Afghan refugees and asylum seekers in light of the human rights situation in Afghanistan.

According to a European Parliament statement, the meeting will also assess the potential implications of returning Afghan migrants to the country.

Human rights organizations have urged that any decision on returns comply with human rights principles, including the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning people to places where they may face serious risks.

The planned discussion has raised concerns among some Afghan migrants in Europe over the possibility of deportation and forced return to Afghanistan.

The Islamic Emirate has previously said it welcomes the voluntary return of Afghan migrants and considers Afghanistan safe for the return of its citizens.

EU statistics show that nearly one million Afghans applied for asylum in European countries between 2013 and 2024, with around half of those applications accepted.

The Ministry of Defense says no threat to other countries emanates from Afghan soil, stressing that Islamic Emirate forces are systematically guarding the country’s borders.

The ministry says it will not allow Afghan territory to be used by groups or individuals seeking to threaten other countries.

Sediqullah Nusrat, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense, said an independent government is now in power in Afghanistan and that no group or individual inside the country poses a threat to other countries.

“The policy of the Islamic Emirate is clear: there is an independent government in Afghanistan. There is no group in Afghanistan that poses a threat to other countries, and the Islamic Emirate will never allow such individuals to operate in the country,” he said.

Nusrat added that Islamic Emirate forces are systematically deployed along the borders and will not allow any individual or group to create insecurity or carry out destructive activities.

“We assure Afghans and the countries of the region that border forces are systematically performing their duties along the borders, and there is no need for concern,” he said.

The remarks come as some regional countries and the Collective Security Treaty Organization have periodically raised concerns over security along Afghanistan’s borders. The Islamic Emirate’s leadership has previously dismissed such concerns as baseless.