Mali sends back migrants deported by France

Mali has sent back two people who were deported from France on the same planes they arrived on, saying they were not sure they were Malian citizens.

The government said the pair were flown to the capital, Bamako using European travel permits or “laissez-passer”, not passports or other Malian papers.

The government said it could not accept people “simply assumed to be Malian.”

Recent reports of a deal with the EU to repatriate failed Malian asylum seekers have sparked protests.

In a statement, the Malian government condemned the use of the European “laissez-passez” in cases of expulsion, describing it as “against international conventions.”

It also warned airlines not to allow passengers to use the document to fly into the country.

Malians are among the sub-Saharan African nationalities most deported from France.

#Mali sends back migrants deported by #France https://t.co/QNGavN30lz pic.twitter.com/8miD0gaI9S

— Red Pepper Uganda (@RedPepperUG) December 31, 2016

Mali’s refusal to admit the two migrants comes as Bamako is under fire at home for having signed a “migrant return agreement” with the European Union.