Liberia's information minister stated that deportees sent from the U.S. under a deal with the Trump administration will primarily be from Latin American countries, including Venezuela and Cuba. The first flight carrying 20 deportees is expected Thursday.
The agreement highlights the Trump administration's strategy of using third-country deals to manage immigration and deportations, raising concerns among rights groups about the transparency and potential risks to deportees.
Liberia is preparing to receive its first flight of deportees from the United States on Thursday, primarily individuals from Latin American countries such as Venezuela and Cuba, according to Liberia's information minister. The West African nation announced it had agreed to accept up to 1,200 third-country deportees from the U.S. within the next year, part of several agreements implemented by the Trump administration to expedite removals.
While a government statement indicated deportees would come from "African and Western Hemisphere countries," the State Department has not specified nationalities. Minister Jerolinmek Piah told Reuters that "most of the people are from Latin American countries. Some from Venezuela, Cuba, Colombia and others." The International Organization for Migration and the U.N. refugee agency will assist in providing services for these individuals, mirroring practices in other African nations.
These third-country deportees have often been granted legal protection against repatriation by U.S. immigration judges who ruled they faced risks of torture or abuse in their home countries. Washington maintains the legality of these deals, though rights groups have raised concerns about their opacity and the ultimate repatriation of many deportees. Liberia stated that the deportees would be welcomed as "guests" with the freedom to depart and the ability to apply for asylum within Liberia. The initial flight is expected to carry 20 deportees, with their nationalities not yet disclosed. Liberia has indicated it is not seeking direct compensation but will receive "support to help manage the programme and strengthen its migration system more broadly." The U.S. has already awarded Liberia $5 million for such migration management activities this year.