An international investigation has revealed that the United States has sent more than 25,000 people to third countries, through agreements with dozens of states that accept migrants with whom they have no connection.
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The research, published by the Forbidden Stories consortium, relates to the period after Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January 2025. According to it, the US administration has negotiated with countries in Latin America, Africa, and the Pacific for the transfer of individuals who cannot legally be deported to their countries of origin.
In this investigative work participated 72 journalists and 23 media outlets from 15 countries. The collected data show that by August 31, 2026, at least 25,447 people had been transferred to 28 countries, while around 20,000 of them were sent to Mexico.
The conditions of the agreements are not the same for all states. The differences mainly relate to the nationalities accepted and whether the transferred persons have criminal records or not.
The investigation reports that Washington has contacted or attempted to approach 49 of the 54 African countries, with the aim that they accept third-country nationals deported from the US.
An AFP investigation, published in early 2026, had previously highlighted the pressure on some African countries. The US administration allegedly used threats of tariffs, visa suspensions, and aid reduction as pressure tools.
Lawyers interviewed by AFP have expressed concern about how these individuals are treated after arrival. According to them, migrants may face an unclear legal status and limited opportunities to exercise their rights.
The US government’s financial plan foresees spending more than 410 million dollars for the receiving states and international agencies participating in the transfer of migrants.
An agency of the US State Department, known as the Immigration Service and created in May 2025, has administered a significant part of the negotiations and payments related to this process.
Cameroon is one of the documented cases. With this state, the US signed a memorandum of understanding in December 2025 for the acceptance of persons deported from third countries. The first air transport with deportees arrived there on January 14.
In Palau, an island state in the Pacific with about 18,000 inhabitants, the agreement foresees the acceptance of 75 people from third countries in exchange for 7.5 million dollars. So far, according to the investigation, only three people have been transferred to this state.
Eswatini has accepted 32 people since July 2025, while the 5 million dollar agreement foresees the transfer of a total of 160 people. Documents show that this number may also include individuals with criminal records.
Internal documents of the State Department specify that from the 410 million dollar fund, 81 million are foreseen directly for the governments of the receiving countries. The rest will go to international organizations, including 178 million dollars for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and 123 million dollars for UNHCR.
The funding and involvement of United Nations agencies have sparked criticism from various human rights organizations. In a response to Forbidden Stories, UNHCR stated that it is not a party to the deportation agreements and that US funds are used in accordance with its mandate to strengthen asylum systems.
A spokesperson for IOM said that the organization understands that the US uses its funds to implement its own priorities. However, he emphasized that accepting American funding aims to improve the lives of migrants and does not imply endorsement of the deportations.
