What's happened
A consortium-led investigation shows the US has struck third-country deportation deals with states and UN agencies to move undocumented migrants out of the US. By early 2026, thousands have been deported to countries like Cameroon, Eswatini, and Ghana, with hundreds of millions allocated to signatories and to UN agencies. Critics warn of coercion and opaque negotiations.
What's behind the headline?
The Core Questions
- What drives the US to strike third-country deportation deals?
- Who benefits from the arrangements — governments, agencies, or the migrants?
- What are the legal and humanitarian risks of such secret negotiations?
Predictable Outcomes
- Increased pressure on asylum systems abroad and potential for human rights concerns to intensify in host countries.
- Possible shifts in migration routes as countries seek to balance economic incentives with political risk.
- Greater scrutiny of how international institutions allocate funding in migration enforcement.
How we got here
The Deportation Project investigates how the Trump administration has expanded migrant removals by creating deals with foreign governments and international bodies. It tracks payments, the destinations of deportees, and the roles of agencies such as the Office of Remigration, IOM, and UNHCR in facilitating and funding these transfers.
Our analysis
Arab News reports on the agreement payments and deportations to Africa and the Pacific. France 24 details a broader investigative project with multiple outlets. Independent covers court orders and alleged due-process violations in deportations. The New Arab and The Independent provide regional perspective on Tunisia and Ceuta-related returns. Forbidden Stories coordinates the global investigative network providing data on remigration offices and IOM/UNHCR roles.
Go deeper
- What countries have signed third-country deportation deals?
- How are migrants' rights protected in host countries?
- What happens next for UN agencies funding these programmes?
More on these topics
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United States - Country in North America
The United States of America, commonly known as the United States or America, is a country mostly located in central North America, between Canada and Mexico.
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Ghana - Country in West Africa
Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean, in the subregion of West Africa.
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Eswatini - Country in Southern Africa
Eswatini, officially the Kingdom of Eswatini, sometimes written in English as eSwatini, and formerly and still commonly known in English as Swaziland, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa.
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Cameroon - Country in Central Africa
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and the Republic of the Congo to
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Forbidden Stories - Non-profit organization
Forbidden Stories is a non-profit organization with the mission "to continue and publish the work of other journalists facing threats, prison, or murder."
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Ceuta - Autonomous city of Spain in North Africa
Ceuta is a Spanish autonomous city on the north coast of Africa. Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean and is one of nine populated Spanish territories in Africa and, along with Melilla, one o
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Sfax - City in Tunisia
Sfax is a city in Tunisia, located 270 km southeast of Tunis. The city, founded in AD 849 on the ruins of Roman Taparura, is the capital of the Sfax Governorate, and a Mediterranean port. Sfax has a population of 330,440.
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Libya - Country in North Africa
Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa, bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad to the south, Niger to the southwest, Algeria to the west, and Tunisi
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Kais Saied - President of Tunisia
Kais Saied is a Tunisian politician, jurist and former lecturer serving as the fifth President of Tunisia since October 2019. He was president of the Tunisian Association of Constitutional Law from 1995 to 2019.
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International Organization for Migration - Intergovernmental organization
The International Organization for Migration is an intergovernmental organization that provides services and advice concerning migration to governments and migrants, including internally displaced persons, refugees, and migrant workers.
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Tunisia - Country in North Africa
Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa, covering 163,610 square kilometres. Its northernmost point, Cape Angela, is also the northernmost point on the African continent.
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France 24 - Television network
France 24 is a French state-owned international news television network based in Paris. Its channels broadcast in French, English, Arabic, and Spanish and are aimed at the overseas market, similar to BBC World News, DW, RT and VOA.