Breaking News: Liberia will accept 1,200 third-country nationals deported from the United States over the next year.
Liberia has agreed to receive up to 1,200 individuals deported from the United States over the coming year, under a deal struck between the two nations. The first cohort of 20 deportees is expected to arrive Thursday, according to Liberia’s Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah. These individuals originate from Africa, North and South America, and the Caribbean.
The agreement, brokered under the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies, represents one of the largest such arrangements to date. President Joseph Boakai of Liberia was among West African leaders who met with President Trump at the White House last year. Piah stated the deportees would be welcomed “as guests”, free to depart and seek asylum within Liberia. The U.S. will provide support to Liberia for managing the program and strengthening its migration systems. Liberia maintains the deal is a humanitarian gesture, not a quid pro quo, and does not require compensation.
Liberia’s Justice Minister Natu Oswald Tweh confirmed that the migrants have been screened, and are primarily those with immigration violations. The Liberian government insists those arriving are not criminals and face no legal prosecution in either country. This arrangement is part of a broader pattern under the Trump administration, involving agreements with nearly two dozen nations – including ten in Africa – to accept third-country deportees.
The U.S. administration defends these agreements as lawful, citing existing immigration legislation. Critics argue migrants are being sent to countries they have no connection to, potentially facing safety risks and increased pressure to return to their countries of origin. The U.S.-Liberia agreement stipulates that individuals will not be returned to their home country while asylum claims are considered, and both countries will adhere to refugee and anti-torture laws.
The first 20 deportees are due to arrive on Thursday.
Sources: Fox News, The Daily Telegraph, The Associated Press, Reuters.
