The United States has deported more than 25,000 migrants to countries with which they have no previous ties under agreements negotiated by the Trump administration, according to an investigation by Forbidden Stories and an international consortium of journalists.
The investigation, published Monday and reported by Channels Television, found that 25,447 people had been deported to third countries as of August 31, 2026.
Since President Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025, the US has reportedly reached agreements with developing countries to receive migrants who cannot legally be deported directly to their countries of origin.
Around 20,000 deportees were sent to Mexico, while thousands more were transferred to 27 other countries across Latin America, Africa and the Pacific. Agreements have also reportedly been finalised with seven additional countries.
The US government has earmarked about $410 million for the arrangements, with funds going either directly to receiving governments or through UN agencies involved in facilitating the transfers.
African countries approached
According to the investigation, 49 of Africa’s 54 countries have been approached about accepting migrants deported from the US.
The report said the agreements differ in their terms, including the nationalities that can be accepted and whether countries will take people with criminal records.
An AFP investigation earlier in 2026 reported that Washington had used visa restrictions and bans involving African countries as leverage in negotiations over accepting deportees.
Lawyers cited by AFP said some migrants were effectively being placed in a legal limbo, detained in countries where they had no connections and potentially limited legal protections.
Cameroon receives deportees
The investigation identified Cameroon as one of the countries that reached an agreement with Washington.
Cameroon signed a memorandum of understanding with the US in December 2025 to accept third-country deportees. The first aircraft carrying deportees reportedly arrived in the country on January 14, 2026.
The report also linked the agreement to increased US assistance to Cameroon. A five-year health assistance programme worth almost $400 million was signed shortly after the memorandum.
The US State Department subsequently announced an additional $30 million for the UN Refugee Agency in Cameroon to support the voluntary return of refugees and efforts against illegal immigration.
How much countries are being paid
Some agreements include direct financial payments to receiving governments.
Palau, a Pacific island nation with a population of fewer than 18,000 people, agreed in December 2025 to accept up to 75 third-country nationals in exchange for $7.5 million. So far, only three people have reportedly been transferred there.
In Eswatini, 32 people have arrived since July 2025 under an agreement allowing up to 160 deportees. The deal is reportedly worth more than $5 million, and the country has accepted people with criminal records.
State Department records reviewed by the investigation reportedly showed that $81 million of the $410 million earmarked for the arrangements was intended for signatory governments.
More than $178 million was allocated to the International Organisation for Migration, while $123 million was earmarked for UNHCR.
UNHCR said it was not a party to the bilateral agreements and that US funding was being used within its mandate to strengthen asylum systems.
The International Organisation for Migration said its decision to accept funding was based on whether its involvement would improve conditions for affected migrants.
