The United States has deported over 25,000 individuals under confidential agreements with 35 countries, sending migrants to nations with which they have no personal ties, according to a new investigation published Monday.
Since President Donald Trump took office in January 2025, the U.S. has forged deals with developing nations to accept migrants who cannot legally be repatriated to their countries of origin.
The investigation by Forbidden Stories reveals that the administration allocated $410 million to facilitate these deportations, either by paying recipient countries directly or by channeling funds through United Nations agencies.
By August 31, 2026, at least 25,447 people had been removed to third countries, based on figures compiled by Forbidden Stories in collaboration with international journalists.
The majority about 20,000 were sent to Mexico, while the rest were dispersed among 27 other countries in Latin America, Africa, and the Pacific. Agreements have also been finalized with seven additional nations.
The specifics of each agreement differ, including which nationalities may be deported and whether individuals with criminal records are eligible for transfer.
A separate AFP investigation earlier this year reported that Washington has used visa bans and other restrictions to pressure African governments into accepting deportees.
Legal experts told AFP that deported individuals often find themselves in a “legal black hole,” detained without charges in unfamiliar countries where they lack connections and possess few, if any, rights.
Forbidden Stories further reported that 49 out of Africa’s 54 countries have been approached by the U.S. about accepting third-country deportees.
Most negotiations and payments have been managed by a little-known State Department office called the Office of Remigration, established in May 2025 and led by Christian Jove Ehrhardt, a 41-year-old diplomat and former security officer.
The report details Ehrhardt’s visit to Cameroon, which signed an agreement with the U.S. in December to accept deportees. Shortly after, Cameroon also agreed to a five-year, nearly $400 million health assistance package. In January, the State Department announced an additional $30 million for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Cameroon to “facilitate the voluntary return of refugees and combat illegal immigration.
The first plane carrying deportees arrived in Cameroon on January 14.
Other agreements have involved direct payments to governments. Palau, a Pacific island nation of less than 18,000 people, signed a deal in December 2025 to accept up to 75 third-country nationals in exchange for $7.5 million, though only three deportees have arrived so far.
In Eswatini, 32 people have been sent since July 2025 under an agreement valued at over $5 million, which includes accepting individuals with criminal records.
Of the $410 million earmarked for these deals, $81 million was allocated directly to partner governments, according to internal State Department documents. The remainder was intended for aid organizations, including over $178 million for the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) and $123 million for UNHCR.
Both agencies have faced criticism for their involvement, though UNHCR told Forbidden Stories it was not a party to the bilateral agreements and used U.S. funding solely to strengthen asylum systems. An IOM spokesperson said funding decisions are guided by whether their participation “will improve the lives of the migrants affected,” adding that in these cases, “we believe strongly it does.
Source: AFP
