US Secretly Deported 25,000 Migrants to Third Countries — Media

US has secretly deported 25,000 migrants to third countries — Media

Since US President Donald Trump took office, Washington has deported more than 25,000 migrants in the country to third countries under secret agreements. Deutsche Welle reported this, citing the results of 24 investigations conducted by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

The Forbidden Stories journalist network reported on September 21 that the US administration allocated $410 million for these purposes. Most of those deported — approximately 20,000 people — were sent to Mexico by bus. The rest were transported by plane to 27 countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, Central Asia, and the Pacific region.

**Agreements concluded with 38 countries**

According to the investigation, those deported included individuals who were barred by US courts from being expelled to their home countries due to the risk of persecution or other serious threats. Some of them were subsequently sent to other countries to which the US could not send them directly.

The document cites cases of citizens of Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Sierra Leone, and Ghana being deported to African countries. The actual number of such deportations could be even higher.

According to the authors of the investigation, agreements were concluded with at least 38 countries, almost a third of which are African nations. According to the publication, the US State Department's Bureau of Immigration is responsible for negotiating with third countries and making the relevant payments. This office, established in May 2025, is headed by 41-year-old diplomat Christian Ehrhardt.

The AFP news agency notes that Washington is using visa restrictions, among other measures, as leverage to pressure African countries into agreeing to accept deportees.

Journalists found that the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a UN agency, is also involved in this program. The organization's staff in 13 countries provide deportees with housing, food, and psychological support.

Internal IOM documents obtained by the authors of the investigation note that there is a risk of the organization being seen as complicit in the US policy of deporting migrants to third countries. The IOM, however, states that its assistance is limited to programs that only improve the situation of deportees.