US Expands Third-Country Deportations With Africa Drawn Into Migration Deals
The United States has deported at least 25,447 migrants to countries with which they have no previous ties, under agreements reached with 35 countries since President Donald Trump returned to office, according to an international investigation.
Data compiled by Forbidden Stories and its media partners show that about 20,000 of those deportees were sent to Mexico, while others were transferred to 27 countries across Africa, Latin America and the Pacific. Agreements have also been concluded with seven additional countries, expanding a system designed to move migrants out of the US when direct removal to their home countries is not possible.
The arrangements have also created a financial network around deportations. The investigation found that the US government has earmarked about $410 million for the programme, including payments to participating governments and funding for United Nations agencies involved in migration and refugee assistance. Cameroon and Eswatini are among the African countries that have received deportees, while 49 of Africa’s 54 countries have reportedly been approached.
The growing role of African countries has raised questions about how migrants are treated after arrival, particularly when they have no family, legal or social connections in the receiving country. Lawyers cited in the investigation have warned that some deportees could face prolonged detention and limited access to legal protection.
The programme is being coordinated largely through the US State Department’s Office of Remigration, created in 2025 to negotiate and manage such arrangements. Some agreements involve direct financial incentives, while others are linked to broader US assistance programmes.
The findings highlight how African countries are increasingly being drawn into the US immigration enforcement system, becoming destinations for people removed from America despite having no previous connection to the countries receiving them.
