Equatorial Guinea police pull guns on migrants deported by Trump, witnesses say
Police in Equatorial Guinea allegedly pointed firearms at migrants deported from the United States during a confrontation at a hotel in Malabo, according to three witnesses and video footage reviewed by Reuters. The incident has heightened concerns about the safety and treatment of migrants transferred to the Central African country under a US deportation programme.
Deportees have previously raised concerns about inadequate medical care, limited access to legal assistance and severe psychological distress while being held at a hotel in Malabo, the country’s former capital.
The latest confrontation reportedly began on Saturday over access to mobile phones but quickly escalated. Men wearing shirts marked “National Police” were seen pointing what appeared to be semi-automatic rifles at deportees inside the hotel entrance. Video footage also appeared to show one migrant kneeling while others screamed nearby. Reuters said it could not independently establish what led to the confrontation.
The incident comes amid the Trump administration’s efforts to establish agreements with African countries willing to receive migrants who cannot legally be sent back to their countries of origin. Some of those deported under these third-country arrangements had previously received protection from US immigration judges who determined that they could face torture or other forms of abuse if returned home.
The US government has defended the arrangements as lawful and said deportations are conducted in accordance with immigration laws. Equatorial Guinea, however, has not publicly disclosed the details of its agreement with Washington or the conditions under which the migrants are being housed.
Human rights organisations have criticised the arrangements as lacking transparency and warned that some deportees could eventually be returned to countries they originally fled.
Lawyers representing some of the migrants say the latest confrontation reinforces concerns over their safety.
Meredyth Yoon, litigation director at Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta, said the incident provided further evidence that sending migrants to Equatorial Guinea could put their lives at risk.
The US Department of Homeland Security said the Trump administration was using all lawful means available to enforce deportations. A spokesperson added that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement would no longer be responsible for individuals once they were no longer in its custody.
The State Department similarly said the US would continue using legal measures to remove people who have no right to remain in the country.
There are currently 31 deportees being held at the hotel in Malabo, according to Yoon and two members of the group.
The confrontation reportedly began when a Cuban migrant approached police officers to request the return of his confiscated mobile phone so he could contact family members and a lawyer. When officers did not respond, an Egyptian deportee, Ahmed Soliman, began recording the exchange.
Soliman told Reuters that several officers then moved towards him and others, allegedly assaulting them and attempting to take his phone. He said the officers subsequently pointed their weapons at him and ordered him to kneel with his hands raised. He remained in that position for between 10 and 15 minutes as confusion continued inside the hotel.
The situation was eventually brought under control after the hotel director intervened and the migrants were allowed to return to their rooms.
According to Third Country Deportation Watch, 53 people were transferred to Equatorial Guinea under the deportation arrangement between November 2025 and July. The group includes nationals from 11 African countries as well as Georgia, Jamaica, Brazil and Cuba.
Three deportees also told Reuters they had been encouraged to return to their home countries despite fears of torture or other abuse, and claimed they were not offered alternative options. Reuters said it could not independently verify those accounts.
The Equatorial Guinea government did not respond to requests for comment.
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