In one of the largest arrangements to stem from the Trump administration’s foreign deportation policies, Liberia has agreed to take in up to 1,200 individuals deported from the United States over the next year.
Speaking to reporters in Monrovia on Tuesday, Liberian Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah announced that the transfers will take place across a 12-month period, with an initial group of 20 people scheduled to land on Thursday.
“Those to be transferred from the United States of America to Liberia will include citizens or nationals of African and Western hemisphere countries who are medically authorized to travel,” Piah added.
The arrangement reflects a broader push by the Trump administration to strike deals with various African nations to accept third-country deportees as part of an effort to discourage illegal immigration. Through these bilateral deals, many of which remain undisclosed, thousands of migrants have been relocated to nations other than their countries of origin.
Migrant rights advocates have raised concerns over these third-country agreements, noting that they often involve individuals who hold U.S. immigration protection orders preventing their return to their home countries due to safety threats. Piah did not clarify if any of the incoming deportees carry these specific safety protections.
The deportees “may wish to seek asylum” in Liberia after their arrival or “can leave the country whenever they desire,” Piah said. He also noted that the United States will provide support to assist Liberia in administering the initiative and enhancing its domestic migration framework.
