Liberia Receives First U.S. Deportation Flight of 20 Under 1,200-Person Deal
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 21
Liberia Receives First U.S. Deportation Flight of 20 Under 1,200-Person Deal
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 21
Summary
Twenty deportees from the United States landed in Monrovia on Thursday, marking Liberia’s first intake under a pact to accept up to 1,200 foreign nationals over the next year.
Most were from Latin America — including Venezuela, Cuba and Colombia — and Liberian officials said many were sent there because U.S. judges found they could face torture or abuse if returned home.
Liberia said the arrivals are being treated as guests, can leave freely or apply for asylum, and will receive support from the International Organization for Migration and the U.N. refugee agency.
Washington has promised support rather than direct compensation; Reuters reported the U.S. awarded Liberia $5 million this year for migration management activities.
The agreement is one of the largest such U.S. arrangements in Africa and sits alongside similar deals with countries including Congo, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Cameroon.
Why is Liberia welcoming over a thousand foreign deportees as guests, and what unseen diplomatic incentives sealed this unprecedented international deal?
How will Liberia's bold move to accept third-country deportees reshape global migration policies and international human rights standards?
What happens to the legal rights and safety of non-criminal migrants when they are suddenly relocated to an unfamiliar nation?