First US Deportees Arrive in Liberia Under Third-Country Deal
The United States has sent the first group of migrants to Liberia under an agreement that could see the West African country accept up to 1,200 people deported from the America, including nationals of countries other than Liberia who cannot be returned home.
Twenty deportees arrived at Roberts International Airport outside Monrovia on Thursday, marking one of the Trump administration’s largest efforts yet to relocate migrants to countries with which they have no prior connection.
Liberia agreed this week to accept the deportees over the next 12 months. Liberian officials said the programme was intended as a humanitarian arrangement and that those arriving would be treated as guests. They will be able to seek asylum in Liberia or leave the country if they choose.
The nationalities of the first group were not immediately disclosed by US authorities. Liberian officials have said most of those expected under the agreement are likely to come from Latin American countries, including Venezuela, Cuba and Colombia.
The agreement is part of President Donald Trump’s broader effort to accelerate deportations and overcome difficulties in returning migrants directly to their countries of origin.
Under US immigration law, some migrants cannot be sent back to their home countries because they face a risk of persecution, torture or other serious harm. Others come from countries that are unwilling or unable to accept deportees.
The Trump administration has increasingly turned to so-called third-country deportations, sending migrants to countries other than those where they hold citizenship.
The policy has already been used in Africa. In 2025, the United States sent deportees to countries including Ghana, Rwanda, Eswatini and South Sudan. Other agreements have since been reached with African countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon and Sierra Leone.
Human rights groups have criticised the practice, saying deportees can face detention, poor conditions or the risk of being transferred again to countries where they could face persecution.
The policy has also affected migrants from outside Africa. Earlier this year, the United States sent thousands of Mexican nationals to Guatemala and hundreds more to Honduras rather than returning them directly to Mexico.
Liberia’s agreement comes with international scrutiny because of questions over how deportees will be housed, how long they will remain and whether they will have access to legal assistance.
Liberian authorities say migrants will have the option of seeking asylum or leaving the country, while the International Organization for Migration and the U.N. refugee agency are expected to provide assistance.
The United States has also provided support for migration management in Liberia, with officials saying the country will receive about $5 million for the programme.
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