Deportees sent to Liberia face uncertain future

Monrovia, Liberia – Lawyer Samwar Fallah in Monrovia said he received multiple calls this week from people in the US asking about relatives among the group of 20 individuals brought to Liberia – a country where none of them hold citizenship. Families have asked him to find out where their loved ones were taken and what will happen to them, but he has few answers to give.

The group landed at Roberts International Airport near the capital on Thursday (Aug 20) and were taken by Liberian officials onto buses and driven away. Fallah avoids calling them “deportees” because the government has not yet determined their legal status under Liberian law. They are the first batch transferred under an agreement that allows Liberia to accept up to 1,200 US deportees over the next 12 months. The Liberian government announced the deal just two days before the flight, and lawmakers said they were not consulted.

Fallah, who is assisting families free of charge alongside two US immigration lawyers, said they want to know whether their relatives can settle in Liberia, choose where to live, or eventually return to the US. The agreement is a form of third-country deportation – sending people to a nation where they do not hold citizenship – and raises questions about executive power, sovereignty, and the rights of those transferred.

‘Guests of the Republic’

The Liberian government insists the arrivals are not detained and describes the agreement with the US as humanitarian. Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah said those transferred will be received as “guests of the Republic,” they are free to leave, and they can apply for asylum. He linked the decision to Liberia’s history – a settlement for free Black people and former slaves from the US – and the tradition of protecting citizens during 14 years of civil war. Piah stressed that Liberia will not bear the costs; housing, food, and onward travel will be paid for by the US government and an international partner organization.

However, the government has not released details about those who arrived on Thursday: their full nationalities, where they are being housed, their legal documents to enter Liberia, or the identity of the international organization paying for and managing their accommodation. Reuters reported that five people in the group refused to leave the aircraft and were taken to Equatorial Guinea, but Al Jazeera has not independently verified this.

Justice Minister Natu Oswald Tweh said Liberia reviewed each passenger list and could reject anyone. “Most are people who violated immigration laws and have criminal records,” he said. But the government has not published screening criteria or whether any cases are protected by US orders preventing their return to their home countries. Al Jazeera has learned that most deportees are citizens of Latin American countries, including Venezuela and Cuba.

Calling them “guests” does not establish a legal status under Liberian law. It remains unclear whether they entered on temporary permits, can work, or must apply for asylum or permanent residency. Officials did not allow reporters to contact them at the airport; they got off the plane, boarded buses, and were taken away under government supervision.

Legislative ratification concerns

The most vocal political opponents argue the agreement may require legislative approval. Senator Samuel Kogar from Nimba County cited Article 57 of the Liberian Constitution, which states the president may conduct foreign affairs and sign treaties and conventions “with the consent of a majority of each legislative house.” He asked: “Has this agreement been presented to both houses and passed by a majority? If not, what legal authority was used to sign it?”

The government says the agreement is based on diplomatic notes exchanged on Sept 4 and Sept 10 last year. The Third Country Deportation Watch – run by Refugees International and Human Rights First – said the text appeared on the US State Department website in March, but most Liberians only heard about it in August. Representative Anthony F Williams, a member of parliamentary committees on national security, human rights, and foreign affairs, rejected the executive branch acting unilaterally: “No agreement involving national security, sovereignty, or the country’s interests can be done by the executive branch alone.”

Liberia’s legislature is on recess until October. Williams said he will seek answers about housing, healthcare, screening, and Liberia’s authority to detain or deport anyone. He expressed concern about state capacity rather than the arrivals themselves: Liberia lacks biometric systems and personnel to manage 1,200 people moving through counties or weak borders; those fleeing persecution could also be traced by the authorities they escaped. Eddie Jarwolo, executive director of NAYMOTE Partners for Democratic Development, said no published plan shows how Liberia will receive arrivals without adding more strain on public services; civil society organizations were not consulted.

Diplomatic ties

The Liberian government insists it received no payments or diplomatic favors in exchange for accepting deportees. Critics are demanding the disclosure of negotiation details. The agreement comes amid a series of US decisions affecting Liberia: the two countries signed a five-year, $124 million health memorandum of understanding in December 2025; the US extended B1/B2 visas for Liberians from 12 to 36 months. Al Jazeera previously reported these measures were taken after Liberia agreed to accept Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man wrongly deported by the US to an El Salvador prison, making him a political and legal flashpoint; the US then sought court permission to bring him to Liberia. Meanwhile, immigrant visas for Liberians have been suspended since January, and the US allocated $5 million to Liberia this year for migration management.

Jarwolo called on both governments to clarify whether the visa extension is linked to accepting third-country deportees: “If there is a link, that raises serious concerns about Liberia’s negotiating position, national sovereignty, and public safety. Development aid should not require Liberia to accept individuals with backgrounds and legal statuses that have not been transparently disclosed and properly assessed.”

William Sando, president of the University of Liberia Student Union, said he learned about the agreement through Facebook before Minister Piah confirmed it. “They have not adequately informed the Liberian people,” he said, calling the minister’s reasoning “detached from current reality.” He wants the government to disclose where the arrivals are staying and whether they can work if they remain. Senator Kogar stressed: “This is not a small matter. We are talking about sovereignty, law, national security, and our responsibility to the Liberian people. Where are the Liberian people?”