Liberia to accept 1,200 deportees from US

Liberia has agreed to accept up to 1,200 foreigners deported from the US over the next year, with the first batch expected to arrive on Wednesday.

The Minister of Information, Jerolinmek Piah, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.

This is one of the biggest deals the US made with an African country since it began its clampdown on migration under President Donald Trump’s second term.

PREMIUM TIMES reports that at least 14 African countries have made a deal to receive US deportees in the last year. This is out of 37 third-world countries worldwide.

Last year, Eswatini received $5.1 million (£3.8 million) from the Trump administration in exchange for deportees. PREMIUM TIMES reports that Ghana also accepted 14 deportees that year.

By Thursday, when the first group of 20 arrives, Liberia will join the list of African countries that have received deportees from the US.

According to the minister, the deportees “will include citizens or nationals of ⁠African and Western Hemisphere countries who are medically authorised to travel.”

He did not, however, provide information on the deportees’ nationalities.

“An initial group of 20 are due to land on Thursday and would be free to go when they wished or could apply for asylum,” he said.

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Mr Piah also said none of the deportees was a criminal or facing prosecution in the US or Liberia.

He noted that they were being accepted “in keeping with Liberia’s long-standing tradition of being a country that has provided shelter to all those seeking refuge and protection from persecution, wars and other forms of conflict.”

“We have always welcomed people who cannot return to their home of origin, and to reject these third country nationals would be acting against our best interest,” he said.