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

Liberia has welcomed its first group of 20 migrants deported from the United States, marking the beginning of an anticipated 1,200 deportees that the West African nation intends to receive under a new agreement. This comes as part of a series of secretive pacts where the Trump administration has relocated thousands of individuals to countries that aren't their own, in an effort to bolster its immigration enforcement.

A significant number of these deals are with African nations, with Liberia being one of the largest recipients.

Immigration advocates argue that these deportations often serve as a legal loophole, enabling the indirect return of asylum-seekers to the countries they fled from. In Liberia, immigrants have the option to seek asylum or depart if they so choose. The news is not limited to Liberia; other African countries such as South Sudan, Eswatini, Rwanda, Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, the Congo, Uganda, Sierra Leone, and the Central African Republic have also received or agreed to receive deportees from the U.S.

While some African countries have opted to accept deportees from their respective regions, many are grappling with authoritarian governments, raising concerns about accountability and due process. The Trump administration has reportedly spent over $40 million to deport approximately 300 migrants to countries outside their native lands, with additional agreements signed since then.

Deportations have included both serious offenders and individuals seeking refuge, raising questions about the fairness of the practice. Some deportees have been sent to countries with no familial or cultural ties, and they were not informed until hours before the deportation flight took off. For instance, a gay Moroccan woman was deported to Cameroon, where homosexuality is illegal, and an Iranian woman with U.S. court protection was sent to the Central African Republic.

Rights advocates claim that these third-country deportation programs may violate the principle of non-refoulement, which forbids governments from sending individuals to places where they face persecution or torture. Legal battles have ensued in countries such as Ghana and Equatorial Guinea, with rights lawyers seeking justice for those who were returned to unsafe conditions.