US Expands Third-Country Deportations

What's happened

Since early April 2026, the US has begun deporting migrants to third countries including Costa Rica, Congo, and Uganda under new agreements. These deals, funded by the US, allow deportations of migrants whose home countries refuse them. The arrangements face criticism over legality, human rights, and the involvement of repressive governments, with legal challenges underway in Uganda.

What's behind the headline?

US Strategy and Global Impact

The US is increasingly relying on third-country deportations to manage migrants who cannot be repatriated to their countries of origin. This strategy shifts the burden of immigration enforcement onto partner countries, often in the Global South, while allowing the US to meet deportation targets without prolonged detention.

Human Rights and Legal Concerns

These deportations raise serious human rights concerns. Many deportees have protection orders from US immigration courts preventing their return home due to safety risks. Sending them to countries where they have no ties, may not speak the language, and where governments have poor human rights records, exposes them to potential harm and legal limbo.

Financial and Political Dimensions

The US is spending millions on these deals, with some costing over $1 million per deportee. This raises questions about cost-effectiveness and taxpayer value. Politically, the US is leveraging these agreements to strengthen diplomatic ties and secure economic interests, such as access to critical minerals in Congo.

Legal Pushback and Regional Reactions

Legal challenges, particularly in Uganda, highlight resistance to these deportations. Local law societies argue the transfers violate constitutional and international law, describing the process as dehumanizing. This pushback may slow or complicate future deportations.

Forecast

The US will likely continue expanding third-country deportations as part of its immigration enforcement. However, growing legal challenges and international criticism will pressure the US and partner countries to improve transparency, legal safeguards, and migrant protections. The human cost and geopolitical implications will remain central to this evolving policy.

How we got here

The US has signed agreements with several countries to accept migrants deported from the US who cannot return to their home countries. These third-country deportations began in early 2025 under the Trump administration’s expanded immigration enforcement policies. The US funds these arrangements, which include financial support and logistical costs, while receiving cooperation from international organizations like the IOM.

Our analysis

Reuters reports that Costa Rica has received groups of migrants from diverse countries under a March agreement with the US, with the International Organization for Migration providing initial support. The New York Post highlights the financial cost, noting Senate Democrats' criticism of the deals costing over $1 million per deportee. AP News and The Independent detail Congo's upcoming acceptance of deportees, emphasizing the temporary nature of the arrangement and Congo's commitment to human dignity, while also noting concerns about repressive governments involved. Al Jazeera and All Africa focus on Uganda's recent receipt of deportees and the legal challenges mounted by the Uganda Law Society, which calls the deportations "undignified, harrowing and dehumanising" and accuses unnamed private interests of profiting from the process. The New York Times contextualizes these deportations within the Trump administration's broader immigration enforcement strategy, noting the use of third-country deportations to meet political goals despite falling short of initial deportation targets. Together, these sources reveal a complex picture of US immigration policy extending beyond its borders, involving financial incentives, diplomatic negotiations, and significant human rights debates.

Go deeper

• How do third-country deportation agreements work?
• What are the human rights concerns with these deportations?
• Which countries have agreed to accept US deportees?

More on these topics

• 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.

• Donald Trump - 45th and 47th U.S. President

  Donald John Trump is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 45th president from 2017 to 2021.

• Democratic Republic of the Congo - Country in Central Africa

  The Democratic Republic of the Congo, also known as Congo-Kinshasa, Zaire, DR Congo, DRC, the DROC, or simply the Congo, is a country located in Central Africa. It was formerly called Zaire.

• Costa Rica - Country in Central America

  Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, and Ecuador to the south of Cocos Isla

• Uganda - Country in East Africa

  Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East-Central Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south

• Entebbe International Airport - Airport in Entebbe, Uganda

  Entebbe International Airport is the principal international airport of Uganda. It is located about 6 kilometres southwest of the town of Entebbe, on the northern shores of Lake Victoria.

• Kinshasa - Capital and the largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo having the status of a province

  Kinshasa (; French: [kinʃasa]; Lingala: Kinsásá), formerly named Léopoldville (Dutch: Leopoldstad) from 1881 to 1966, is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kinshasa is one of the world's fastest-growing megacities, w

• Republic of the Congo - Country in Central Africa

  The Republic of the Congo, also known as Congo-Brazzaville, the Congo Republic or simply the Congo, is a country located in the western coast of Central Africa.

• Kristi Noem - Governor of South Dakota

  Kristi Lynn Noem is an American politician who is the 33rd governor of South Dakota, serving since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, she previously served as the U.S.