Liberia to Accept US Deportees

Liberia has agreed to receive as many as 1,200 third-country deportees from the United States over the next year, with an initial group of 20 expected to arrive this week. The agreement is part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to establish arrangements with African countries for migrants whom the US cannot legally return to their countries of origin because they face potential torture or other abuses. Liberia said those arriving could include nationals from African and Western Hemisphere countries, although their identities and nationalities were not disclosed. Officials also said deportees would be treated as “guests” who could leave freely or apply for asylum, and denied the arrangement involved a quid pro quo with Washington. However, the government acknowledged that the United States would provide support to help manage the program and strengthen Liberia’s migration system.