I deleted my Facebook account a few years ago through this process. I was very careful not to log back in, and when I tried a few months later I was rejected - no account linked with that email address.

Six months later I signed up with a different email address, and Facebook forced me to confirm my account with my phone number. Javascript Error - that phone number is associated with another Facebook account. I click OK, and I'm redirected to my "new" account with all my old Facebook friends (on the opposite side of the country) showing up as "people I may know."

Nothing is deleted from Facebook, ever.