U.S. President Donald Trump has proposed a plan to five African leaders under which their countries would accept migrants deported from the United States, including individuals from third countries, according to sources familiar with the discussions.
The proposal was made during a White House meeting with the presidents of Liberia, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, and Gabon, where migration and economic cooperation topped the agenda, U.S. and Liberian officials told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
According to the sources, the U.S. administration is seeking to accelerate deportations—particularly in cases where return to the migrant’s home country is unfeasible—by identifying alternative host countries.
In a controversial development, eight migrants from countries including Cuba, Laos, and Sudan were recently relocated to Juba, the capital of South Sudan, after losing legal appeals against deportation. The move raised concerns among rights groups given South Sudan’s fragile security situation.
While Liberia has reportedly begun preparing to receive a number of deportees in its capital, Monrovia, the positions of the other four nations remain unclear. No official comment has been issued by the White House or the governments involved.
A leaked internal memo from the U.S. State Department, according to reports, urges the five African countries to accept the migrants “in a safe and dignified manner” and to refrain from repatriating them to their countries of origin until U.S. asylum claims are fully adjudicated.
During the meeting, Trump publicly reiterated his intent to reframe the U.S.-Africa relationship from one based on aid to one centered on trade. He emphasized that the U.S. is a “better partner than China” and expressed hope for reducing visa overstays and advancing “safe third country” agreements.
The proposal has triggered debate over its legal and humanitarian implications, particularly amid growing scrutiny of U.S. immigration policies under Trump’s renewed presidential term.
