The first group of 20 migrants deported from the United States has arrived in Liberia, marking the beginning of a new arrangement under which the West African country could receive up to 1,200 deportees from the US over the next year.
The migrants arrived at Roberts International Airport near Monrovia on Thursday. Most are reportedly from Latin American countries, including Venezuela and Cuba, although the US government has not publicly released the full list of nationalities.
Liberia to Receive Up to 1,200 Deportees
The agreement allows the United States to send people to Liberia who are not Liberian nationals, making the country one of the latest destinations in Washington’s expanding third-country deportation policy.
Liberian authorities have said the deportees will be treated as guests and will have the option of seeking asylum in Liberia or leaving the country. The International Organization for Migration and the UN refugee agency are expected to provide assistance.
Liberia has described the arrangement as part of its long-standing humanitarian tradition of providing refuge to displaced people.
Controversy Over Third-Country Deportations
The policy has attracted criticism from immigration lawyers and human rights organisations, who have raised concerns about whether deportees can safely be transferred to countries with which they have no previous connection.
Critics also question the transparency of the agreements and whether deportees could ultimately face further removal to countries where they may be at risk of persecution or other serious harm.
The Liberia arrangement is part of a broader Trump administration effort to expand deportations to countries other than migrants’ countries of origin. Similar agreements have been reached with several countries in Africa and elsewhere.
$5 Million Support for Migration Management
Liberia is expected to receive $5 million from the United States to support migration management, while Liberian officials have said the country is not receiving a direct payment for accepting the deportees.
The first arrival is likely to intensify debate over the legality and humanitarian consequences of third-country deportations, particularly as Liberia prepares for the possibility of receiving hundreds more migrants under the agreement.
With up to 1,200 people potentially arriving over the next year, the implementation of the deal will be closely watched by governments, human rights organisations and immigration advocates.
