Unwanted abroad: US to deport up to 1,200 people to African nation
This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.
- Liberia struck a deal with the US to receive up to 1,200 foreigners deported from America over the next year
- An initial group of 20 deportees was due to land on Thursday, with Liberia's government describing the arrangement as humanitarian
- The agreement raises questions about deportees who hold legal protection orders against returning to their countries of origin
TUKO.co.ke journalist Japhet Ruto has over eight years of experience in financial, business, and technology reporting, offering insights into Kenyan and global economic trends.
Liberia has agreed to receive up to 1,200 foreigners deported from the United States (US) over the coming year, making it one of the largest third-country deportation arrangements the Trump administration has secured as part of its sweeping crackdown on illegal migration.
An initial group of 20 people was due to arrive on Thursday.
What did Liberia say?
Liberia's Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah said those individuals would be free to leave whenever they chose or could apply for asylum in the country.
Piah was clear that the government viewed the incoming deportees as guests rather than detainees.
"The government wants to emphasise that those being brought to Liberia are being received as guests," he said, as reported by the BBC.
None of the deportees, he added, had criminal records or were facing prosecution either in the United States or in Liberia.
The minister described the arrangement as consistent with Liberia's historical identity as a refuge for the displaced.
Piah said Liberia was welcoming the individuals in line with its long history of offering refuge and protection to people fleeing persecution, war and other conflicts.
What is Trump's deportation strategy?
According to DW, the deal fits into a broader strategy by the Trump administration to redirect migrants it cannot legally return to their home countries.
In many cases, US courts have ruled that deporting individuals to their countries of origin would expose them to torture or other serious abuses, leaving the government searching for willing third parties to absorb these populations.
Whether any of those headed to Liberia hold such protection orders has not been disclosed, leaving questions unanswered about the legal standing of those in the group.
The announcement comes roughly a year after Liberian president Joseph Boakai visited the White House as part of a delegation of African leaders and held direct talks with President Trump.
Why Ethiopians are no longer protected in the US
In other news, the Trump administration's decision to revoke Ethiopian nationals' Temporary Protected Status was upheld by a US federal judge.
A severe warning was placed on X by the Department of Homeland Security advising impacted Ethiopians to depart the United States right away or risk deportation.
After the judge let one crucial argument to proceed, a legal challenge over claimed racial and national origin prejudice is still pending.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.