Liberia says it's taking in 1,200 third-country US deportees

Liberia has announced its willingness to accept up to 1,200 third-country deportees from the United States over the next 12 months, according to a government statement published on Tuesday. The first group of 20 deportees is expected to arrive in the West African nation on Thursday.

The Liberian government stated that these deportees, who are citizens or nationals of African and Western Hemisphere countries, will be treated as guests and will have the freedom to leave the country at any time or apply for asylum. The deal, however, does not involve any quid pro quo with the US, and Liberia has not received any direct compensation.

This agreement comes after a year-long collaboration between Liberian President Joseph Boakai and the White House, where they discussed various issues, including the US's deportation practices. In recent years, the Trump administration has been negotiating with several African nations to accept individuals who cannot legally be returned to their home countries due to court orders. These orders often claim that sending the deportees back would put them at risk of torture or other abuses.

The Trump administration has defended these agreements as lawful, although rights groups and advocates have raised concerns about the opacity of the details and the fact that many deportees are later repatriated. The Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Ghana, and Sierra Leone have also reached similar agreements with the US.

The European Union is currently exploring plans that would allow member states to send rejected asylum seekers to third countries, provided certain conditions are met.