The United States has been actively seeking countries to accept migrants expelled from its territory. An internal map from March 2026, revealed by an investigation by Forbidden Stories, shows that Washington has solicited 49 of the 54 African countries to accept people expelled from the US. This effort covers almost the entire continent, with only a few countries not approached.
The negotiations are being handled by the Office of Remigration, created in May 2025 within the State Department. This office, led by Christian Ehrhardt, a 41-year-old career diplomat, has around 15 employees. According to the map, nine of the 49 countries approached are engaged in active discussions. Delegations from African and Latin American countries are set to meet US officials in September on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
The transfers have already taken place in several countries. According to an investigation by RFI, Vietnamese nationals have been sent to Eswatini, Colombians to the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Guineans to Ghana. In South Sudan, eight men of various nationalities arrived in July 2025 after a stop in Djibouti. In Cameroon, eight migrants from Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Ethiopia arrived in Yaoundé on February 16.
The protocol agreement signed in December was followed by a health program worth around $400 million, and the first flight landed on January 14. However, in several documented cases by RFI, people are being detained without a court decision or are stuck without a status, and the third country may only be a stepping stone before being sent back to their country of origin.
According to internal documents examined by The Washington Post, the administration has authorized or promised at least $410 million for agreements with 31 countries, mostly African and Latin American. This total includes $81 million in direct payments to 13 governments. People close to the matter claim that the contracts were written to circumvent human rights safeguards that govern foreign aid.
Forbidden Stories reports that at least 25,447 people have been expelled to third countries as of August 31, 2026. Around 20,000 were expelled to Mexico, which applies an informal agreement, and almost all the others to Africa and Latin America. The Department of Homeland Security claims 985,000 expulsions in total since the start of Donald Trump's second term.
Not all governments have agreed to accept migrants. Nigeria has publicly rejected the idea of hosting migrants of other nationalities. The US has leverage over several African capitals, having suspended visa issuance to nationals of 11 sub-Saharan African countries in January 2026 and restricted access for 14 others. The principle of these transfers is not new, with the UK having concluded a similar agreement with Rwanda in 2022.
Key points
- The Trump administration has solicited 49 African countries to accept migrants expelled from the US since May 2025.
- The Office of Remigration, created in May 2025, is handling the negotiations with African countries.
- The US has authorized or promised at least $410 million for agreements with 31 countries to accept expelled migrants.
