Liberia Accepts First U.S. Third-Country Deportees

Liberia has received the first group of migrants deported from the United States under the Trump administration’s policy of sending some people to countries where they are not citizens and have no established ties. Approximately 20 deportees from several countries, including nations in Latin America, arrived at Roberts International Airport near Monrovia on Thursday, according to U.S. officials. The arrival was complicated by resistance from some of the deportees. A U.S. official said a small group initially refused to leave the aircraft. They were escorted off the plane but later returned to it, and their whereabouts were unknown at the time of the report. Liberia has agreed to accept as many as 1,200 “third country” deportees from the United States over the next year. The Liberian government says the migrants will be permitted to apply for asylum in Liberia. The country is also the proposed destination for Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador last year before returning to the United States to face human-smuggling charges. A federal judge in Maryland has temporarily blocked that deportation effort. The United States has negotiated similar arrangements with dozens of countries, including South Sudan, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Some of those countries face armed conflict, political instability or serious human-rights concerns. U.S. immigration officials have also conducted deportation flights to Ghana, Equatorial Guinea and other African nations willing to receive migrants deported from countries other than their own. Human-rights organizations condemn the policy as inhumane and illegal under international law, arguing that it can send people to countries where they may face persecution. The Trump administration disputes those claims and says third-country deportations are lawful and help deter illegal immigration. The policy has largely targeted migrants whose home countries refuse or restrict U.S. deportations, as well as people who have obtained legal protection from removal to their countries of origin.

Liberia has received the first group of foreign nationals deported from the United States under an agreement allowing Washington to send up to 1,200 third-country nationals to the West African country over the next year. Liberian Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah told Reuters that the initial group consisted of 20 people, primarily from Venezuela, Cuba and Colombia. The flight departed from Louisiana, stopped in Senegal and landed at Roberts International Airport near Monrovia at 12:45 p.m. local time. Liberian officials said many of the deportees had sought protection from being returned to their home countries because judges determined they could face torture or other abuse there. The government described Liberia’s participation as consistent with its history of providing sanctuary to people displaced by political and other crises. Those transferred will be free to leave Liberia if they choose or apply for formal asylum. They will also receive assistance from the International Organization for Migration and the U.N. refugee agency. Liberia said it will not repatriate the individuals to their home countries or former places of residence until any pending protection claims have been resolved. Officials emphasized that the arrivals are not being treated as criminals and are not being prosecuted under either U.S. or Liberian law; instead, they are being received as guests of Liberia. The agreement does not require the United States to provide compensation, although Liberia will receive assistance to administer the program and strengthen its migration system. Reuters reported that the U.S. awarded Liberia $5 million this year for migration-management activities. The arrangement is among the largest U.S. third-country deportation agreements in Africa. Washington has also reached similar agreements with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Ghana and Sierra Leone.

The United States carried out its first deportation flight to Liberia under an agreement allowing the West African country to accept as many as 1,200 people who are not Liberian nationals. Twenty deportees arrived at Roberts International Airport near Monrovia. According to Liberian Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah, future deportees could include African nationals as well as people from North America, South America and the Caribbean. Liberian Justice Minister Natu Oswald Tweh said those sent to Liberia could apply for asylum there if they choose. The agreement is part of a broader Trump administration effort to deport migrants to countries other than their own. The U.S. State Department said implementing the administration’s immigration policies is a top priority, emphasizing its opposition to what it called illegal and mass immigration. The Department of Homeland Security declined to confirm the flight, citing operational security. The article notes that third-country deportation agreements are frequently kept secret and can result in migrants being sent to countries where they have never lived and may face safety risks. A monitoring initiative involving Refugees International and Human Rights First says the United States has reached agreements with at least 35 countries, including Liberia and 13 other African nations. More than 23,000 people have reportedly been deported to 26 countries under such arrangements. A six-page agreement posted by the State Department in September 2025 confirms Liberia’s willingness to accept non-Liberian deportees but does not specify how many people may be sent or which nationalities are covered. The article also discusses the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran man mistakenly deported to El Salvador. The Trump administration has considered sending him to a third country, including Liberia, while Abrego Garcia is challenging possible deportation to Liberia in a Maryland federal lawsuit.

The United States has carried out its first deportation to Liberia under an agreement allowing the West African country to accept up to 1,200 people who are not Liberian nationals. An initial group of 20 deportees arrived at Roberts International Airport near Monrovia. Liberian officials said the group could include people from Africa, North America, South America and the Caribbean, although the government has not disclosed their nationalities. Liberian Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah described the deportees as “guests” and characterized the arrangement as humanitarian. He said none of the first arrivals were criminals or facing prosecution in either country. Liberia’s justice minister, Natu Oswald Tweh, said the deportees could seek asylum in Liberia if they wished. Piah also said Liberia had neither requested nor received financial compensation, while acknowledging that the United States would provide support for administering the programme and improving Liberia’s migration system. The agreement is part of the Trump administration’s broader policy of deporting migrants to “third countries” rather than their countries of origin. The Third Country Deportation Watch says the administration has agreements with at least 35 countries and that more than 23,000 people have been deported to 26 countries through such arrangements. Other African countries involved include Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone. The policy has attracted criticism from human rights organizations, which warn that migrants may be sent to countries where they have no ties and where their safety or legal status may be uncertain. The case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national mistakenly sent to prison in El Salvador, has highlighted these concerns. Although the administration has defended third-country deportations as lawful, Abrego Garcia is challenging a possible deportation to Liberia in federal court. The Liberia agreement is expected to last one year and could significantly expand the United States’ use of alternative destinations for deportees.