Liberia has agreed to accept up to 1,200 third-country deportees from the United States over the next year, becoming one of the latest African countries to participate in the Trump administration’s expanding deportation arrangements.
Liberia’s Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah said Tuesday that the first group of 20 deportees is expected to arrive in the West African country on Thursday. The group will include nationals from African countries as well as people from North America, South America and the Caribbean.
The agreement is part of a broader U.S. immigration policy under President Donald Trump, which has sought to deport people to countries other than their countries of origin when direct repatriation is legally or practically difficult.
Liberian authorities said the individuals being transferred have been medically cleared to travel. Officials also said those arriving in Liberia will be treated as guests and may apply for asylum in the country or leave if they choose.
The arrangement has drawn attention because some people involved in similar U.S. third-country deportation agreements have received protection from being returned to their home countries after U.S. immigration judges determined that they could face torture or other serious abuses there.
Washington has defended third-country deportation agreements as lawful. Human rights organizations and immigration advocates, however, have criticized the arrangements, citing concerns about transparency, due process and the safety of deportees.
Liberia said the agreement does not involve a direct financial or political exchange with the United States, although the country will receive U.S. support to help manage the program and strengthen its migration system.
The deal also carries historical significance for Liberia, which has longstanding ties to the United States and was founded in the 19th century by freed African Americans. Liberian officials have highlighted the country’s history of receiving people fleeing political and other crises.
The agreement could make Liberia one of the largest recipients of third-country deportees under the Trump administration’s current policy, putting the country at the center of a growing international debate over U.S. immigration enforcement and the treatment of migrants who cannot safely return to their home countries.
Swifteradio.com