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Officials rerouted five U.S. deportees to Equatorial Guinea after they refused to step off their plane in Liberia last week.
The incident occurred during the inaugural transfer under a broader agreement, under which Liberia agreed to accept up to 1,200 foreign nationals expelled under President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
The plane originally landed in Liberia carrying 20 deportees, but only 15 individuals actually disembarked.
Liberian Information Minister Jerolinmek Matthew Piah addressed the situation at a press conference on Tuesday, saying the five passengers “were not given to us; we are not the ones to explain what happened to them.”
The incident highlights the growing role of African nations as transit hubs for U.S. deportation flights.
Countries like Liberia, Ghana, and Equatorial Guinea now routinely receive non-citizens whom the U.S. cannot directly return to their home countries.
Washington has already expelled at least 50 people—predominantly African nationals—to Equatorial Guinea since November.
Liberian officials maintained that all accepted deportees remain free to apply for asylum or leave the country at will.
While Minister Piah reiterated that Liberia “will not spend a dime” on the operation and denied accepting financial rewards, reports indicate the U.S. State Department approved a $5 million payment to support Liberia’s participation in the transfer deal.
