Liberia will accept up to 1,200 third-country deportees from the United States, according to Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah, who briefed reporters in the capital, Monrovia. The first group of 20 deportees is expected to arrive on Thursday.

Piah stated that the deportees, who come from African nations, North and South America, and the Caribbean, will be received as "guests of the Republic" and will remain free to depart the country whenever they wish.

The Trump administration has reportedly reached agreements with at least 35 countries to accept third-country deportees, according to Refugees International and Human Rights First. The Liberian deal marks the largest number of deportees under such arrangements so far.

Rights groups estimate that the US has sent approximately 22,000 people to 26 countries they did not originate from as of early August 2026.

The Liberia-US agreement, signed in 2025 and made public in March 2026, ensures that asylum seekers and others needing protection would be able to stay in Liberia if deported there.

The US regime has been pushing courts to allow the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an El Salvador native whose case has drawn national attention, to Liberia. As an incentive for accepting Garcia in 2025, the Trump regime allegedly extended visa validity for Liberians from 12 to 36 months and committed $124 million for the country's health services.

The deportation agreement with Liberia is being challenged by several lawsuits in the US, reflecting ongoing legal and humanitarian concerns.

Source: www.aljazeera.com