Archive · 21 Aug 2026
US Sends First 20 Deportees to Liberia Under Controversial Agreement
The United States sent 20 deportees to Liberia for the first time under a new agreement.
These people are not necessarily citizens of Liberia.
Liberia could eventually accept as many as 1,200 deportees.
They may come from several regions around the world.
Liberian officials said the arrivals could apply for asylum if they want to stay safely in Liberia.
The United States says the policy will help enforce immigration rules and protect its border.
Rights groups worry that people may be sent to countries they have never lived in.
Important details about the agreement and the people being transferred remain unclear.
Twenty deportees arrived near Monrovia in the United States’ first transfer to Liberia under the agreement.
Liberia could accept up to 1,200 people who are not Liberian citizens.
Liberian officials said deportees could come from Africa, North America, South America and the Caribbean.
The United States defended the policy as part of efforts to end illegal immigration and strengthen border security.
Rights groups criticized third-country deportations over safety concerns and limited public information about transfers.
- Who
- The United States, Liberia and 20 deportees who arrived near Monrovia.
- What
- The United States carried out its first deportation to Liberia under an agreement covering people who are not Liberian nationals.
- When
- Thursday; the agreement was signed in September 2025.
- Where
- Near Monrovia, Liberia.
- Why
- The United States says the policy supports its immigration enforcement and border-security priorities; rights groups have raised safety and transparency concerns.
US Government Position
Rights Groups’ Concerns
Immigration enforcement
US Government Position
The State Department said implementing the Trump administration’s immigration policies is a top priority and that the United States is committed to ending illegal and mass immigration.
Rights Groups’ Concerns
Rights groups argue that third-country deportations can send migrants to countries they have never lived in and may expose them to safety risks.
Transparency
US Government Position
The United States and Liberia are implementing an agreement that permits Liberia to receive deportees from other countries.
Rights Groups’ Concerns
Critics say such agreements have often been negotiated with limited public information about the people transferred and the countries involved.
Destination and protection
US Government Position
Liberian officials said deportees may seek asylum in Liberia if they wish.
Rights Groups’ Concerns
Rights groups say some deportees have later faced pressure to return to the countries they originally fled.
- First transfer
- Twenty deportees arrived near Monrovia in the first reported deportation under the arrangement.
- Potential capacity
- Liberia could accept up to 1,200 people.
- Nationality
- The deportees do not have to be Liberian citizens.
- Possible origins
- Liberian officials said deportees could come from Africa, North America, South America and the Caribbean.
- Asylum option
- Liberian Justice Minister Natu Oswald Tweh previously said deportees could seek asylum in Liberia.
- Broader policy
- The Trump administration has reached agreements with at least 35 countries, according to Third Country Deportation Watch.
- Estimated transfers
- Third Country Deportation Watch estimates that more than 23,000 people have been deported to 26 countries through such arrangements.