US has sent deportees to many African countries, the latest one being Liberia. Here’s why

Monrovia, Liberia - On Thursday, the first group of 1,200 deportees from the United States arrived in Liberia, marking the beginning of a planned influx of migrants under a new agreement between the two nations. Under a series of secretive arrangements, the Trump administration has sent thousands of individuals to 24 countries, primarily in Africa, as part of its immigration enforcement efforts.

According to advocates, roughly half of these agreements involve African nations, with Liberia hosting one of the largest groups of third-country deportees. Immigration lawyers argue that this practice serves as a legal loophole, enabling the indirect return of some asylum-seekers to their countries of origin. While Liberia's authorities have stated that the deportees can either seek asylum in the country or leave if they wish, immigration lawyers contend that the policy is exploiting a legal loophole to circumvent proper asylum procedures.

Several other African nations, including South Sudan, Eswatini, Rwanda, Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Congo, Uganda, Sierra Leone, and the Central African Republic, have also agreed to accept deportees from the U.S. Some of these countries, like Ghana and Sierra Leone, are located in West Africa, while many of the participating nations are grappling with the consequences of the Trump administration's policies, such as trade restrictions, aid cuts, and migration policies.

The lack of transparency surrounding the agreements and the authoritarian nature of several African governments has raised concerns about the accountability and due process afforded to the deportees, with some African governments justifying their actions on humanitarian grounds.