MONROVIA, Liberia (AP) 鈥� Liberia has agreed to accept up to 1,200 third-country deportees from the United States, authorities in the West African country said Tuesday, in one of the largest under the Trump administration鈥檚 policy aimed at deterring illegal migration.
The deportees will be received within a year, with the first batch of 20 expected on Thursday, Liberia鈥檚 Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah told reporters. The 1,200 deportees will include Africans as well as nationals from North America, South America and the Caribbean, Piah said.
The administration has struck with African countries. Under a series of often-secret agreements that are part of a broad U.S. crackdown on illegal immigration, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has deported thousands of people to nearly two dozen countries that are not their own, advocates say.
A key issue in the agreements is that they can involve migrants with protection orders from a U.S. immigration judge not to be returned to their home countries because of concerns for their safety. The Liberian minister did not say if the deportees expected in Liberia had such protection orders.
They 鈥渕ay wish to seek asylum鈥� in Liberia after their arrival or 鈥渃an leave the country whenever they desire,鈥� Piah said.
Piah added that Liberia will receive support from the U.S. to manage the program and strengthen its migration system.
鈥淟iberia鈥檚 gesture is entirely humanitarian and in keeping with the country鈥檚 longstanding traditions,鈥� he said.
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