A Bangladeshi man deported from the United States said he was shackled in chains and given little food or water during a 60-hour military flight that carried him and other migrants back home.
Rubel, 29, who asked not to use his real name, told Press he travelled to the U.S. on a tourist visa last October in search of a better life but was detained within days. He spent nearly 10 months in a detention centre before being expelled for illegal immigration.
“They tied a chain around my waist, handcuffed me and put leg irons on both my feet,” Rubel said, describing the deportation flight that carried him and several other South Asian and African nationals.
Rubel alleged the migrants were provided only four slices of bread with cheese and less than half a litre of water over the two-and-a-half-day journey. “We kept asking for water, but they didn’t give us. The officers were drinking bottled water and eating, but we were ignored,” he said.
He added that shackles made it difficult to drink or use the toilet. “Even inside the restroom they stood at the door, and if we tried to move from our seats, they forced us back,” Rubel said.
U.S. immigration authorities have long faced criticism from rights groups over conditions in detention centres and on deportation flights. Reuters could not independently verify Rubel’s account, and U.S. officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
