'I'd rather live in hiding in the US than return to Somalia'
The BBC has aired the testimony of a Somali migrant facing deportation from the United States, who said he would rather live in hiding in America than be sent home. The piece highlights the human consequences of tightening US immigration policy. It has drawn fresh attention from advocacy groups in Washington.
An interview aired by the BBC has put a human face on the squeeze of tighter US immigration enforcement, foregrounding the testimony of a person facing deportation to Somalia. Speaking anonymously, he said he would rather live in hiding inside the United States than be returned to his home country.
The US administration has accelerated deportation operations to Somalia and other East African countries in recent months. Civil society groups warn that returns to areas under threat from al-Shabab pose serious safety risks, and the United Nations has formally recorded that parts of Somalia cannot be deemed safe.
Human rights organisations in Washington have filed for stays in federal court. The White House, meanwhile, says the removals are taking place under a lawful policy framework. The coming weeks will be decisive given pending court rulings and bills being floated by some lawmakers in Congress.
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