Liberia was founded in the 19th Century by freed African-American slaves. Photo: EPA

Such agreements with other countries have often involved people who are legally protected from returning to their own countries, for reasons such as persecution. It is not clear if those coming to Liberia have protection orders.

"The government wants to emphasise that those being brought to Liberia are being received as guests," Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah said.

An initial group of 20 are due to land on Thursday and would be free to go when they wished or could apply for asylum, he said.

None of the deportees were criminals or facing prosecution in the US or Liberia, Piah said.

They were being accepted "in keeping with Liberia's long-standing tradition of being a country that has provided shelter to all those seeking refuge and protection from persecution, wars and other forms of conflict," the minister added, stressing it was a humanitarian arrangement.

No information has been provided about the nationalities of the deportees.

US President Donald Trump's administration has deported dozens of people to what are termed "third countries" since coming into power in January 2025.

Several African countries, including Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone, have already struck deals to receive those the US cannot legally send back to their home countries.

The US has defended the third-country deals as lawful, despite rights groups criticising the arrangements as opaque and many of the deportees ultimately being repatriated.