Five migrants resist Liberia deportation, forced off plane in Equatorial Guinea
Aug 20, 2026
Five people the U.S. attempted to deport to Liberia this week refused to leave the plane upon landing and were instead flown to Equatorial Guinea, according to sources familiar with the incident. The group included three Cuban men, one Brazilian man, and one Cameroonian woman, who were told they would be returned to the U.S. but were instead forced to disembark in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. They are now being held with more than 30 other migrants previously sent there under a similar third-country deportation deal, which human rights groups have criticized for poor conditions and lack of legal aid.
Sources
Related incidents
- Venezuelan man deported to Liberia despite pending habeas caseAug 21, 2026 · TX
- US sends nearly 2,300 Mexican deportees through Guatemala, Honduras to bypass direct returnsAug 21, 2026
- Cuban deported by ICE to Liberia ends up stranded in Equatorial GuineaAug 20, 2026 · LA
- Twenty deportees sent to Liberia under new third-country removal dealAug 20, 2026
- First deportation flight to Liberia carries 20 people under U.S. third-country dealAug 19, 2026
- Liberia to accept 1,200 third-country deportees from US within a yearAug 19, 2026