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Liberia’s agreement to accept up to 1,200 deportees from the US remains shrouded in mystery a day after the first 20 arrivals landed in Monrovia, leaving many wondering what Liberia is getting in return.
The Liberian government has insisted the deal is “not a transaction with a quid pro quo,” but that claim has failed to quiet the questions.
“It’s very hard to imagine that [claim] is true,” said Robert Blair, a Brown University professor who studies Liberian politics, adding that Monrovia likely expects “some sort of favorable treatment” from Washington down the line, even absent explicit terms.
“Everyone is basically speculating because so little is written down,” said one immigration attorney who has represented clients removed to third countries under earlier deals.
A State Department spokesperson called implementing President Donald Trump’s immigration policies a “top priority” but declined to offer details of the arrangement with Liberia.
“As a general matter, we do not comment on the details of our private diplomatic communications with other governments,” the spokesperson said.
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The opacity extends to the deportations themselves. The lawyer told Semafor that Ghana’s earlier deal with the Trump administration appeared designed so migrants without passports could be deported by Ghanaian authorities to their home countries under the Economic Community of West African States’ passport-free travel zone — raising the question of whether Liberia, also a member of the West African bloc, will do the same.
“I would not be terribly surprised if they were willing to do that,” Blair said.
Liberian officials have framed the arrangement as consistent with the country’s history of welcoming refugees. Reuters reported that Liberia received $5 million from the US for “migration management activities” earlier this year, which could ostensibly be used for taking in the deportees.