US sends first group of deportees to Liberia: Venezuelans and Cubans among the migrants

The first group of migrants deported from the United States to Liberia arrived in the African country on Thursday, marking the start of an immigration agreement under which Monrovia agreed to accept up to 1,200 third-country nationals expelled by the Donald Trump administration over the next 12 months.

The flight, carrying 20 deportees, landed shortly before 1 p.m. local time at Roberts International Airport, near Monrovia. After disembarking from the aircraft, the migrants were transported by bus under the supervision of Liberian authorities, according to AFP.

According to Reuters, the new arrivals include Venezuelans, Cubans and Colombians, as well as citizens of other countries. Liberian Minister of Information Jerolinmek Piah stated that most are from Latin America.

Liberia will be able to accept up to 1,200 deportees

The Liberian government announced this week that it will accept up to 1,200 people deported by the United States who are not Liberian citizens, in one of the largest agreements of its kind reached by Washington with an African country.

Authorities noted that the foreigners will be received for a period of one year and that they will be able to apply for asylum in Liberia or freely leave the country if they so desire. The government maintains that the migrants will be treated as "guests."

Liberia has also denied that the agreement is a direct exchange for economic or diplomatic benefits. However, Reuters reported that the United States has allocated $5 million to support Liberia's immigration management as part of the program.

Trump's strategy for third-country deportations

The agreement is part of the Trump administration's strategy to expand so-called third-country removals, which allow certain foreign nationals to be transferred to countries other than their countries of origin when there are legal impediments to returning them directly.

Some of these migrants have court orders preventing their return to their countries due to the risk of torture, persecution or other abuses. Reuters notes that Washington has sought similar agreements with several African countries, including Sierra Leone, Ghana, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The White House has defended this policy as part of its immigration crackdown and recently emphasized that the administration has obtained judicial support to continue its program of deportations to "safe third countries."