An international investigation led by 26 media outlets reports that the Trump administration makes “third country” arrangements with several African states to receive some people deported from the United States. The outlets say migrants detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are transferred to these countries, which are described as locations far from the United States and sometimes far from migrants’ countries of origin.
The investigation, coordinated through Forbidden Stories and published by France 24 and RFI, is based on a months-long probe. It says that since Donald Trump returned to power, more than 25,000 people have been deported to third countries, with hundreds reportedly sent to Africa. RFI reports that at least 12 African countries have agreed to receive deportees, and it describes cases involving detention without a court decision or without clear legal status. It also says some people were later sent onward to places where they risk persecution, torture, or other serious harm.
Across the coverage, outlets frame the reporting around how these arrangements operate within the U.S. deportation system and what consequences migrants face after transfer, while focusing on the cooperation between the U.S. and participating African governments.
