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United States and Liberia sign Asylum Cooperative Agreement

  1. Original Date Announced

    September 10, 2025

    The United States and Liberia signed a safe third country agreement. Under its terms, the United States “shall in its complete discretion” propose to Liberia the transfer of third-country nationals present in the United States who may have asylum claims, and Liberia “shall in its complete discretion consider accepting or declining such a proposal in whole or in part.” Liberia agreed not to return any person transferred by the United States to their home country or country of former habitual residence until a final decision has been made regarding any pending protection claims. The United States agreed to not transfer unaccompanied minors.

    Third Country Deportation Watch provides detailed updates on this agreement.

    Trump 2.0 [ID #2373]

    2025.09.10 DOS - Agreement Between United States and Liberia
  2. Effective Date

    September 10, 2025
  3. Subsequent Trump and Court Action

    August 20, 2026

    2026.08.20 Reported: Liberia agrees to accept third-country deportees from United States - Reuters

    Reuters reports that Liberia announced on August 18 that it signed a third-country deportation agreement with the United States--separate from the ACA described above--to accept 1,200 deported individuals over the next 12 months. Liberia's Minister of Information shared that most of these third-country nationals would come from Latin American countries, including Venezuela, Cuba, and Colombia. Liberia said that it was not demanding compensation, but that it ​would receive "support to help ⁠manage the programme and strengthen its migration system more broadly." Earlier this year, the U.S. awarded Liberia $5 million for "migration management activities."

    The first flight carrying 20 individuals arrived on August 20. Liberia said that they would be received "as ‌guests" who ⁠could leave when they wanted and who could apply for asylum in Liberia. According to The New York Times, at least 5 of these individuals resisted getting off the plane in Liberia and were returned to the plane and removed to Equatorial Guinea pursuant to another agreement with that country.

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