Liberia Refuses, Deportees Diverted: Controversial U.S. Deportation Agreements in Spotlight

In a contentious development, five deportees originally bound for Liberia under a U.S. deportation plan resisted disembarking and were diverted to Equatorial Guinea, two sources confirmed to Reuters. This incident marks an early complication in Washington’s strategy to send up to 1,200 third-country deportees to Liberia, a plan facing harsh critiques from immigrant rights advocates. The deportees, unable to return to their home countries due to legal protections, have been thrust into a diplomatic tug-of-war.

The government of Liberia had anticipated the arrival of 20 deportees on Thursday, but only 15 disembarked. Five individuals—three from Cuba, one from Brazil, and a woman from Cameroon—refused to exit the plane. Instead of being returned to the U.S., they were reportedly relocated against their will to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, a move that further spotlights the complex web of deportation agreements in Africa.

Conditions in Equatorial Guinea, where deportees are reportedly held in inadequate facilities with insufficient medical care and lacking legal aid, have drawn sharp criticism from human rights organizations. Despite these challenges and growing concerns over human rights violations, the U.S. State Department remains steadfast in its resolve to tackle illegal immigration. A spokesperson for Homeland Security affirmed the continuation of deportations to any deemed safe third country.

(With inputs from agencies.)