International Investigation Exposes Secret US Deals to Deport Migrants to Africa

An extensive international investigation led by a consortium of 26 media outlets, coordinated by Forbidden Stories and featuring contributions from FRANCE 24 and RFI, has shed light on secretive agreements established by the administration of US President Donald Trump. Over a period of months, 72 journalists across 15 countries examined how the US government secured deals with numerous nations to receive undocumented migrants detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, commonly known as ICE.

The collaborative reporting project, titled "The Deportation Project: Revelations about the Trump administration’s mass deportations," highlights the methods behind the widespread removal of foreign nationals to countries they had never previously visited. According to the investigation, more than 25,400 individuals have been deported from the United States to third countries since January 2025. Many of these individuals had previously been granted legal protections that shielded them from being returned directly to their countries of origin, where they faced potential persecution.

To bypass these legal blocks, the Trump administration forged pacts with 35 third-party nations worldwide, including 13 African countries. Because the negotiations were conducted largely in secret, the exact details of what these receiving nations obtained in exchange for hosting the deportees remain largely opaque. The journalistic investigation involved more than a hundred interviews, including direct testimonies from 33 migrants who experienced these expulsions firsthand.

Journalists tracked the arrival and living conditions of deported individuals in various African nations, including Ghana, Cameroon, and Eswatini. In Cameroon, reports highlighted individuals awaiting uncertain fates following a confidential agreement between Washington and Yaounde. In Eswatini, Africa's last absolute monarchy, a discreet arrangement involving the reception of approximately 160 migrants who had been convicted in US courts triggered unprecedented local protests and rising diplomatic tensions.

Documentary reporting and interactive mapping compiled as part of the project documented the scale of these transfers. Some of the affected individuals had resided in the United States for decades, building families, paying taxes, and establishing stable lives before being detained and expelled. Media reports warn that these newly stateless people now face risks of detention, ill-treatment, or eventual return to their original home countries where their safety could be severely compromised.

The pursuit of these investigative findings also highlighted risks faced by members of the press. Salvadoran reporter Mario Guevara was detained on June 14, 2025, while covering a demonstration against ICE in Atlanta, Georgia, amid broader protests against US immigration policies. Guevara was subsequently deported to El Salvador four months later, illustrating the challenging environment surrounding reporting on modern immigration enforcement operations.

The findings from FRANCE 24, RFI, and their international partners provide comprehensive documentation of the mechanics behind Washington's third-country removal strategy. The published series covers individual human stories, political pressures, and the broader geopolitical implications of transferring detained foreign nationals across continents to nations where they have no prior ties.