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The Trump administration is facing mounting criticism over a costly expansion of deportations that sends migrants to third-party destinations in Africa rather than their home countries — in some cases at a cost of more than $1 million per person.
A report by Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said Washington has spent more than $40 million on the effort, including at least $32 million in direct payments to governments willing to accept deportees with no prior ties to their countries. Among them: Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, and Rwanda. Because only small numbers were transferred in some cases, the effective per-person cost, factoring in payments and military flights, climbed above $1 million, with Eswatini cited as a prime example.
Africa has become central to the strategy, which is guided by US President Donald Trump’s stated aim to deport “millions of illegal migrants.” Ghana has received West African nationals under similar arrangements, while South Sudan and Uganda have also engaged in third-country transfers from the US. Details of the agreements remain opaque.
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Scrutiny intensified this week after journalists and a lawyer were reportedly detained in Cameroon while investigating the arrival of deportees. Jeanne Shaheen, the committee’s top Democrat, called the arrests “deeply alarming,” arguing that the secrecy surrounding the deals raised questions not only about cost but about the treatment and legal status of those sent thousands of miles from home.
The administration said the policy addresses cases where countries of origin refuse repatriation.