A confrontation at a hotel in Malabo has intensified concerns about the safety of migrants deported from the United States to Equatorial Guinea. Three witnesses and video footage reviewed by Reuters indicate that police pointed what appeared to be semi-automatic rifles at deportees during a dispute over access to mobile phones. Reuters could not independently verify what led to the altercation. The incident comes amid wider controversy over US third-country deportation arrangements, under which some migrants who had previously won protection from removal were sent to countries they had not called home. Washington says the deals are lawful, while rights groups argue that the arrangements are opaque and may expose deportees to abuse.