The United States has deported more than 25,000 migrants to countries other than their countries of origin since January 2025 under arrangements with developing nations, according to figures cited in an investigation.
The US administration has allocated around $410 million for agreements involving third countries that accept migrants who cannot legally be returned to their home countries. The funds are intended to be paid either directly to participating governments or through international organisations involved in facilitating returns.
By August 31, 2026, at least 25,447 migrants had reportedly been deported to third countries under the arrangements.
Around 20,000 of those deportees were sent to Mexico, while the remainder were transferred to 27 other countries across Latin America, Africa and the Pacific. Agreements have also been finalised with seven additional countries.
The terms of the arrangements vary, including the nationalities that can be transferred and whether countries will accept people with criminal records.
The US has also used visa restrictions and other immigration measures in negotiations with some countries over the acceptance of deportees. Legal experts have raised concerns that migrants transferred to countries where they have no established ties could face uncertain legal status and limited access to rights and legal protections.
Most African countries have reportedly been approached about accepting migrants deported from the United States. A US State Department office established in 2025 has handled many of the negotiations and related payments.
One agreement involves Cameroon, which agreed to accept deportees and later signed a separate health assistance programme with the United States. Additional US funding was subsequently allocated to support voluntary refugee returns and efforts to address irregular migration. The first deportation flight under the arrangement arrived in Cameroon in January.
Other agreements include direct financial payments to governments. Palau, a Pacific island nation with a population of fewer than 18,000, agreed to accept up to 75 third-country nationals in exchange for $7.5 million.
So far, only three people have been transferred to Palau under the agreement. In Eswatini, 32 people have reportedly arrived since July 2025 out of a potential 160 under an agreement valued at more than $5 million. The country has also accepted some deportees with criminal records.
Of the $410 million allocated for the arrangements, internal US government records reportedly show that $81 million was designated for participating governments. The remaining funds were intended for humanitarian and migration-related organisations.
More than $178 million was earmarked for the International Organisation for Migration, while approximately $123 million was allocated to the UN refugee agency.
The involvement of international organisations in the arrangements has drawn scrutiny. The UN refugee agency has said it was not a party to bilateral deportation agreements and that US funding was being used within its mandate to strengthen asylum systems.
The International Organisation for Migration has maintained that it accepts funding for such programmes when its involvement is expected to improve conditions for affected migrants.
