Liberia agrees to accept 1,200 third-country deportees from the US

Liberian authorities announced on Tuesday that the country has agreed to accept up to 1,200 third-country deportees from the United States. Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah stated that the group includes nationals from Africa, North and South America, and the Caribbean, with the first batch of 20 expected to arrive on Thursday. Justice Minister Natu Oswald Tweh noted that the list of migrants had been screened, adding that most had committed immigration violations. The Liberian government described the move as a humanitarian gesture, stating that the arrivals may seek asylum in Liberia or leave the country at their discretion. Meanwhile, immigration lawyers have raised concerns that the Trump administration is utilizing such third-country deportations as a legal loophole to indirectly force asylum seekers back to their home countries, potentially placing them in unsafe conditions.