The U.S. government is deporting migrants to African nations under secret third-country agreements to reduce the number of migrants in the country.
These arrangements allow the U.S. to remove foreign nationals to countries other than their own. This strategy expands the reach of deportation efforts by utilizing financial incentives to secure agreements with nations that have no direct link to the deportees.
Recent operations have targeted West Africa. The U.S. sent 20 deportees to Liberia [3], which is part of a larger agreement under which the country will receive 1,200 migrants [4]. Other reports indicate that thousands of people have already been deported to two dozen African countries [6].
The Trump administration has struck deportation deals with at least 35 nations [1]. These agreements are often worth millions of dollars [2]. While some deportees are sent to stable environments, others have ended up in volatile regions.
In the Central African Republic, dozens of foreign nationals, including Cuban citizens, have been stranded [5]. The region is described as conflict-ridden, raising concerns about the safety and legal status of those sent there under these secret deals.
Government officials have not publicly detailed the specific terms of the 35 agreements [1]. However, the pattern of shipments to the Central African Republic and Liberia suggests a broad geographic expansion of the administration's removal strategy, one that prioritizes speed and volume over the destination's stability.
“The Trump administration has struck deportation deals with at least 35 nations”
The use of third-country agreements signals a shift toward a transactional immigration policy, where the U.S. pays foreign governments to accept migrants regardless of their nationality. By bypassing the traditional requirement to return migrants to their home countries, the administration can accelerate removals, though it risks placing deportees in volatile regions where they may lack legal protections or social support.
