Liberia to take 1,200 US deportees from other countries in 12 months
What's next: A first group of 20 is due Thursday under a deal that could let deportees seek asylum in Liberia.
Liberia agreed to accept up to 1,200 deportees from the United States over the next year under a third-country transfer arrangement, with the first 20 expected to arrive Thursday. Liberia said the group will include people from African and Western Hemisphere countries who are cleared to travel. The government said the arrivals would be treated "as guests," allowed to leave voluntarily and permitted to apply for asylum in Liberia. Monrovia said the deal was not a quid pro quo and that it was not seeking compensation, though the United States will provide support for the program and Liberia's migration system. The Trump administration has pursued similar agreements with several African countries for migrants it cannot legally return to their home states.