Monrovia, en.SERU.co.id — Liberia has agreed to accept up to 1,200 third-country nationals deported from the United States over the next 12 months, with the first group of 20 people scheduled to arrive at Roberts International Airport on Thursday, August 20, 2026.
The decision was announced Tuesday by Liberia’s Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism. The government said the arrangement is based on an exchange of notes between Liberia and the United States dated September 4 and September 10, 2025.
The people being transferred are nationals of African and Western Hemisphere countries who have been medically cleared to travel. Liberian authorities stressed that they are not criminals and face no prosecution under either U.S. or Liberian law.
Received as Guests
The Liberian government said the arrivals will be received as “guests of the Republic of Liberia” and will remain free to leave the country.
Those who wish to stay permanently will be allowed to apply for asylum under Liberian law.
“They are being received as guests of the Republic of Liberia in keeping with Liberia’s long-standing tradition of being a country that has provided shelter to all those seeking refuge and protection from persecution, wars and other forms of conflict,” the government said.
Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah described the arrangement as humanitarian. Justice Minister Natu Oswald Tweh said authorities had already screened the list of people scheduled to arrive.
Liberia Says No Payment Was Involved
Liberian officials also rejected the idea that the arrangement involved a financial exchange.
“Liberia has not demanded or received any compensation or promise of reward in exchange for its consent to participate in the program,” the government statement said.
The United States will provide support to help Liberia manage the program and strengthen its migration system, although officials did not disclose further details.
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Part of Wider U.S. Deportation Policy
The agreement is part of a broader U.S. effort to transfer some deportees to third countries when they cannot be returned to their countries of origin. Similar arrangements have been reported with several African nations, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Ghana and Sierra Leone.
The policy has drawn scrutiny from human rights organizations, particularly over transparency and the conditions faced by people transferred to countries where they may have no previous ties.
Liberia said its decision reflects the country’s history as a place of refuge. The government has urged citizens and residents to treat the incoming group with courtesy and hospitality.
The nationalities of the first 20 people expected to arrive on Thursday have not been disclosed.
