Liberia agrees to take 1,200 deportees from the United States

Monrovia, Liberia (AP) — Liberia has agreed to take up to 1,200 deportees from the United States, authorities announced on Tuesday. This agreement represents one of the largest such arrangements under the Trump administration's stricter immigration policies. The first batch of 20 deportees is expected to arrive on Thursday, with the remaining individuals following within the next year.

The majority of the deportees will be Africans, as well as nationals from North America, South America, and the Caribbean, according to Liberia's Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah. Under various undisclosed agreements, the Trump administration has deported thousands of individuals to 24 countries, predominantly in Africa. Many of these deportees have protection orders from a U.S. immigration judge, citing safety concerns in their home countries.

Liberia's Justice Minister Natu Oswald Tweh revealed that the country has already screened the list of migrants before their arrival. Most of them are individuals with immigration violations and offenses. They can choose to seek asylum in Liberia or leave the country at their discretion. Piah emphasized that Liberia is providing the necessary support for the deportees to seek protection and ensure their safety during their stay.

The Liberian government views this humanitarian gesture in line with the country's traditional approach. Immigration lawyers argue that the Trump administration employs deportations to third countries as a legal loophole to indirectly force asylum seekers back to their home nations. In many cases, deportees are sent to countries they've never visited or where they face potential safety risks, leaving them with limited options other than returning to their home countries.