US Sends 20 Deportees To Liberia Under New Migration Deal

The United States has sent 20 deportees to Liberia as part of an agreement under which the West African country will receive up to 1,200 people deported from the US over the next year.

The first group arrived in Liberia on Thursday, according to Liberian authorities, marking the start of one of the largest third-country deportation arrangements reached by the Trump administration.

The deportees are nationals of countries other than Liberia and include people from Latin America, with Liberia’s Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah identifying Venezuela and Cuba among the countries represented.

The agreement allows the US to send people to Liberia who it cannot return directly to their countries of origin, including some migrants who have received legal protection against repatriation because of concerns over possible torture or abuse.

Piah said the deportees would be received as “guests” and would not be detained in Liberia. They can apply for asylum in the country or leave whenever they choose.

Liberia is expected to receive up to 1,200 deportees over a 12-month period. The government said the arrangement was humanitarian and not a “quid pro quo” agreement.

The United States has reached similar third-country deportation agreements with several African countries as President Donald Trump’s administration intensifies its immigration enforcement efforts.

Liberia is expected to receive US support to help manage the programme and strengthen its migration system. The International Organization for Migration and the UN refugee agency are also expected to assist with services for the deportees.

The arrangement has attracted criticism from immigration and human rights groups, who have raised concerns about sending migrants to countries where they may have no ties and the potential risks they could face after transfer.