Liberia to Take in 1,200 Deportees from the US

Liberia has agreed to take in up to 1,200 people deported from the US over the next year. The first group is expected to arrive on Wednesday.

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

This deal is one of the biggest the US has made with an African country since it started its strict immigration policies during President Donald Trump’s second term.

Reports say that at least 14 African countries have agreed to accept US deportees in the past year. This is part of a total of 37 developing countries worldwide.

Last year, Eswatini received $5.1 million from the Trump administration to take in deportees. Ghana also took in 14 deportees that same year.

By Thursday, when the first group of 20 arrives, Liberia will join the list of African countries accepting 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 give details about the nationalities of the deportees.

“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.

Mr Piah also mentioned that none of the deportees is a criminal or facing charges in the US or Liberia.

He added that they are 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.