Monrovia, Liberia (Running Africa) — Liberia has agreed to accept up to 1,200 people deported from the United States over the next year, becoming the latest African country to participate in Washington’s expanding third-country deportation program.
The arrangement applies to migrants whom US authorities are seeking to remove but cannot legally return to their countries of origin.
The first group of 20 deportees is expected to arrive in Liberia on Thursday, with authorities saying they will be allowed to leave the country or apply for asylum after arrival.
Liberia has described the agreement as a humanitarian initiative and says it has received no financial compensation from the United States for accepting the deportees.
Liberia to Receive Up to 1,200 US Deportees
Under the agreement, Liberia could receive as many as 1,200 deportees from the United States over the next 12 months.
The first arrivals will involve a relatively small group of 20 people, although further transfers are expected as the program develops.
Liberian authorities have not disclosed the nationalities of those scheduled to arrive.
The government has also said the individuals being transferred are not criminals and are not facing prosecution, seeking to distinguish the arrangement from deportations involving people convicted of serious offences.
Deportees Can Leave Liberia or Apply for Asylum
According to Liberian authorities, those arriving under the program will not be required to remain permanently in the country.
They will be able to leave Liberia or seek asylum, providing them with options after being removed from the United States.
The arrangement is part of a broader US strategy involving third-country deportations, where migrants are sent to countries other than their country of nationality when direct repatriation is not possible.
The policy has expanded Washington’s migration partnerships with several governments across Africa.
Liberia Says US Deportation Deal Is Humanitarian
Liberia has framed its participation as a humanitarian decision rather than a financial arrangement.
Officials say the government has not received compensation for accepting deportees under the program.
Instead, authorities have linked the decision to Liberia’s history and national identity.
The country was established in the 19th century through the settlement of formerly enslaved and free Black people from the United States, creating longstanding historical ties between Liberia and America.
Liberian officials say accepting people who are unable to return to their home countries reflects that history and the country’s tradition of providing refuge.
US Expands Third-Country Deportation Deals Across Africa
Liberia joins a growing number of African countries that have reached arrangements with Washington involving migrants deported from the United States.
Similar agreements or transfers have involved Ghana, Eswatini, Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The expansion of these arrangements has made Africa increasingly significant to US efforts to remove migrants whose deportations to their countries of origin face legal, diplomatic or practical obstacles.
It has also generated debate over what responsibilities participating African governments assume once deportees arrive.
Rights Groups Raise Concerns Over Third-Country Deportations
Human rights organizations have criticized third-country deportation agreements, raising questions about transparency, legal protections and the conditions migrants may face after being transferred.
Critics argue that sending people to countries where they have no citizenship or established ties could expose them to additional uncertainty and vulnerability.
Those concerns are likely to remain central as the United States expands the policy and more African governments consider participation.
Liberia, however, maintains that its arrangement will provide deportees with freedom of movement and the opportunity to seek asylum.
With the first 20 people expected to arrive on Thursday, attention will now turn to how Liberia implements the program, and how a potential 1,200 US deportees could affect the wider debate over migration, human rights and Washington’s growing use of third-country deportation agreements in Africa.
