The United States has deported more than 25,000 people under secret arrangements with 35 countries to accept migrants who have no ties to those nations, according to an investigation published on Monday.
Washington has negotiated agreements with developing countries to receive migrants who cannot legally return to their home countries since US President Donald Trump took office in January 2025.
According to an investigation by Forbidden Stories, the US government has allocated $410 million to support the returns, with the funds going directly to recipient countries or through UN organisations.
By August 31, 2026, Forbidden Stories and a consortium of international journalists had gathered data showing that at least 25,447 people had been deported to third countries.
Approximately 20,000 individuals were deported to Mexico, while the remainder were dispatched to 27 other countries across Latin America, Africa, and the Pacific, with additional agreements established with seven more nations.
The terms of these deportation agreements vary regarding the acceptance of specific nationalities and individuals with criminal records.
An investigation conducted by AFP earlier this year revealed that Washington is leveraging visa restrictions and bans to compel African nations into accepting deportees.
Legal experts informed AFP that deportees are being thrust into a “legal black hole,” remaining detained without formal charges in unfamiliar countries where they possess little to no legal rights.
According to Forbidden Stories, 49 of Africa’s 54 nations have been approached regarding the reception of third-country deportees.
According to Forbidden Stories, the Office of Remigration, a little-known State Department agency established in May 2025, has handled most of the discussions and payments. The report also details his visits to Cameroon, which signed a memorandum of understanding with the US in December to accept deportees.
Payments
Direct financial transfers to governments have been incorporated into several of the agreements.
In December 2025, Palau, a small Pacific island nation with a population under 18,000, agreed to accept up to 75 third-country nationals in return for a $7.5 million payment.
However, under the terms of that agreement, only three individuals have been relocated to date.
Similarly, of the 160 individuals eligible for transfer to Eswatini under an accord valued at over $5 million, only 32 have arrived since July 2025, with findings indicating the country has accepted deportees holding criminal records.
Internal State Department records indicate that $81 million of the total $410 million budgeted for these accords was allocated directly to signatory nations.
The remaining funds, including $123 million for the UNHCR and more than $178 million for the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM), were earmarked for aid organisations.
The agencies have faced criticism over their involvement, although UNHCR told Forbidden Stories that it was not a party to the bilateral agreements. The agency said it used the US funds in line with its mandate to strengthen asylum procedures.
An IOM representative told Forbidden Stories that the organisation bases its funding decisions “on a single question: whether our engagement will improve the lives of the migrants affected.” The representative added that IOM firmly believes its involvement improves their lives in these cases.
Read Also: Illegal Immigrants Face New U.S. Policy As $3,000 Voluntary Exit Plan Rolls Out
