In brief
Liberia has pledged to receive up to 1,200 migrants deported from the United States over the next year, marking a significant expansion of Washington’s ‘third‑country’ deportation policy. The government says the newcomers will be treated as guests and may apply for asylum if they wish. The deal follows similar agreements by Ghana, Equatorial Guinea and Eswatini, and brings attention to questions about the legal status of the deportees and whether they have protection orders. Despite criticism from human‑rights groups, Liberia’s Information Minister stressed the arrangement is entirely humanitarian and that the country has a long tradition of providing shelter to refugees. No details have been released on the nationalities of the migrants or on any compensation from the US.
The West African nation announced it will take in a maximum of 1,200 people being deported from the United States over the next year, expanding Washington’s so‑called "third‑country" deportation policy.
The militants who are being repatriated will be treated as guests, Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah said, and will have the freedom to leave if they wish or apply for asylum. None of those arriving were known to have been involved in criminal cases in either country.
The arrangement follows similar deals by Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Eswatini – all of whom have agreed to receive deportees the US cannot legally return to their home nations. Critics argue the deals are opaque and that many migrants ultimately get sent back.
Piah added that Liberia had not demanded any compensation or promise of rewards for its participation. He stressed the nation’s historical role as a refuge for people in exile, noting that Liberia was founded in the 19th century as a settlement for freed African‑American and Caribbean slaves.
The US has defended the practice as legal, even as rights organisations have levied accusations that the process can violate migrants’ protections. No official comment from the US State Department was made on the latest engagement.
The first group of 20 people are expected to arrive on Thursday, after which more may follow over the coming months. The country has not yet disclosed the nationalities of those to be accepted.
