Investigate detention, deportation of African nationals-Amnesty to UAE

Amnesty International has called on the United Arab Emirates to probe the racist detention and deportation of several African nationals.

The UAE had arrested and deported 376 men and women in June who the Interior ministry said were found involved in various crimes, including human trafficking, prostitution, extortion and assault.

The ministry added that many of the arrested had been deported while 50 remained due to lack of proper travel documents.

In a statement on Tuesday, Amnesty International argued that the detention and deportation of the African nationals did not follow due process.

“In detaining and arbitrarily deporting hundreds of African nationals en masse, based on racial targeting and with no legal due process, the UAE violated international law,” the London-based rights group said after interviewing 18 deportees.

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“All of them described a pattern of racial targeting in the apprehensions, noting that those rounded up were almost exclusively Black.”

According to the statement, Lynn Maalouf, Amnesty’s deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa, said the UAE authorities “must investigate this appalling incident in view of providing the victims prompt restitution of their belongings and redress for the shameful treatment they were subjected to prior to their deportation”.

Read full article on The Guardian.