Faith Nyasuguta
U.S. President Donald Trump has reportedly urged several African leaders to accept migrants deported by the United States – even if they are not nationals of those countries – in a controversial push to speed up deportations amid his administration’s renewed hardline stance on immigration.
According to two officials who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, the plan was privately discussed with the presidents of Liberia, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, and Gabon during their visit to the White House on Wednesday. The meeting, originally arranged to discuss broader trade and diplomatic ties, shifted focus partly to Trump’s proposed migration deal, which aims to use willing African nations as temporary hosts for deported migrants whose repatriation to their countries of origin has stalled.
Neither the White House nor official spokespeople for the five African countries immediately responded to requests for comment, leaving it unclear whether any leader agreed to Trump’s proposal. However, a U.S. official told Reuters that Liberia’s government was already “preparing to accommodate” an effort to temporarily house deported migrants in its capital, Monrovia – though the Liberian official who confirmed the topic was discussed did not say if President Joseph Boakai formally accepted the plan.
This strategy is part of Trump’s broader agenda since returning to office in January 2025, which includes reviving “safe third country” deals that allow the U.S. to deport asylum seekers to nations other than their own while claims are processed. Similar arrangements under his first term faced legal and diplomatic hurdles and drew sharp criticism from human rights groups.
The Wall Street Journal reported this week that an internal State Department document sent to the African leaders before their visit asked them to agree to the “dignified, safe, and timely transfer” of third-country nationals from the United States and not to send them back to their countries of origin until a final decision on their asylum requests is made. We could not independently verify the full contents of that document.
The push follows an earlier incident where eight migrants – from Cuba, Laos, Mexico, Myanmar, Sudan, and Vietnam – were flown to South Sudan after losing a legal battle to stay in the U.S, highlighting how far the administration is willing to go to enforce deportations.
In public remarks, Trump told the African presidents that he wants to pivot U.S. relations with Africa from aid dependency to “trade and investment,” describing the U.S. as a “better partner than China.” He also expressed hopes of reducing visa overstays and finalizing more safe third country agreements.
Trump was joined at the meeting by Massad Boulos, his senior adviser for Africa and Stephen Miller, a key architect of his immigration crackdowns during his previous term. As of now, no African leader involved has publicly confirmed an agreement, leaving the plan’s future uncertain amid concerns over rights, sovereignty, and practical implementation.
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