Liberia Says It's Taking in 1,200 Third-Country US Deportees

Liberia has agreed to accept up to 1,200 third-country deportees from the United States over the next year, according to the government. The first group of 20 individuals is expected to arrive on Thursday. This agreement comes after U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has struck deals with several African nations to accommodate people it cannot legally deport due to concerns about their safety.

Liberia's government stated that the deportees will be welcomed as guests and have the freedom to leave the country at their discretion or apply for asylum. The individuals involved will primarily be citizens or nationals of African and Western Hemisphere countries who are medically cleared to travel. The deal with the U.S. is not a quid pro quo arrangement and no direct compensation has been requested or received.

However, Liberia will receive support to manage the program and enhance its migration system. This agreement follows a year after Liberian President Joseph Boakai visited the White House, where he met with Trump and discussed various issues. The U.S. has defended these agreements as lawful, although some rights groups and advocates argue that the details are often unclear and many deportees are eventually repatriated.

Several other African countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Ghana, and Sierra Leone, have also reached similar agreements with the U.S. The European Union is currently exploring comparable plans that would enable member states to send rejected asylum seekers to designated "return hubs" in third countries through bilateral or multilateral agreements, provided certain conditions are met.