Liberia agrees to accept 1,200 third-country deportees from US within a year
Liberia agreed to accept 1,200 third-country deportees from the U.S. over the next year, with the first group of 20 expected to arrive on Thursday.
TL;DR
- Liberia will accept up to 1,200 third-country deportees from the U.S. in the next year.
- The first group of 20 deportees is expected to arrive on Thursday.
- The deportees will include Africans as well as nationals from North America, South America, and the Caribbean.
- Liberia will receive support from the U.S. to manage the program and strengthen its migration system.
- The Liberian government described the agreement as a humanitarian gesture, referencing historical ties to the U.S. and a tradition of accepting refugees.
- Deportees will be treated as guests, can leave when they wish, and can apply for asylum in Liberia.
- The government stated that the arriving deportees are not criminals and have not been prosecuted under U.S. or Liberian law.
- Other African countries have previously accepted third-country deportees from the U.S.