Twenty deportees from the United States arrived at Liberia’s Roberts International Airport on Thursday. It’s the first group under a new deal that will bring up to 1,200 deportees to Liberia over the next year.
Liberian officials say most of the group committed immigration violations in the US. Many are from Latin American countries, including Venezuela and Cuba.
Liberia’s Justice Minister, Natu Oswald Tweh, said the deportees can apply for asylum in Liberia, or leave the country whenever they choose. Officials describe the arrangement as a humanitarian gesture.
Meanwhile, immigration lawyers and rights groups have criticised the program, saying the US is using third-country deals to send migrants to nations they have no ties to and avoiding stronger legal protections.
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