U.S. Sends More Than 25,000 Migrants to Countries They Have No Connection

The United States has sent more than 25,000 migrants to countries with which they have no connection under secret agreements with 35 countries. According to the French news agency AFP, this was revealed in an investigative report. After President Donald Trump took office in January 2025, Washington began entering into agreements with developing countries under which they agreed to accept migrants who could not legally be returned to their countries of origin. An investigative report by Forbidden Stories found that the administration allocated $140 million for the program, either paid directly to countries receiving the migrants or provided to United Nations agencies to facilitate the deportation process.

According to the report compiled by Forbidden Stories and a group of international journalists, at least 25,447 people had been sent to various countries by August 31, 2026. Nearly 20,000 of them were sent to Mexico, while the rest were transferred to 27 other countries, including countries in Latin America, Africa and the Pacific region. Agreements with another seven countries have also been finalized. The terms of these agreements vary, including which nationals can be sent to each country and whether people with criminal records will also be accepted.

An investigation conducted by AFP earlier this year found that Washington has been using visa restrictions and other travel measures to pressure African countries into accepting deportees. Some lawyers told AFP that deported individuals were being pushed into a “legal black hole,” where they could be detained without charges in a country with which they have no connection and where they have few or no legal rights. According to Forbidden Stories, discussions have been held with 49 of Africa’s 54 countries regarding the possible acceptance of migrants from third countries.

The report said that most negotiations concerning these agreements and related payments were handled by a little-known division of the U.S. Department of State called the Office of Remigration, which was established in May 2025. The office is headed by Christian Juvier Erhardt, who previously worked as a security officer. The report also details his visits to Cameroon. In December, he signed a memorandum of understanding with Cameroon concerning the acceptance of deported individuals. A week later, the two countries also signed a five-year program worth approximately $400 million. The following month, the U.S. Department of State said it would provide an additional $30 million to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Cameroon to “facilitate the voluntary return of migrants and help combat illegal immigration.”

The first plane carrying 14 deportees arrived in Cameroon on January 14. Other agreements also include direct payments to governments. Palau, a small island nation with a population of just 18,000, signed an agreement with the United States in December 2025 under which it was to receive $7.5 million in exchange for accepting up to 75 nationals from other countries. However, only three people have so far been sent there under the agreement. Since July 2025, 32 people have been sent to Eswatini, which can accept up to 160 people under its agreement with the United States. The agreement is worth more than $5 million. According to the report, Eswatini has also accepted people with criminal records