Sierra Leone Receives Third Batch of US Deportees; Belize Gets Second Group Under Safe Third Country Deals

Sierra Leone welcomed a third group of third‑country nationals deported from the United States on 31 July 2026. The ten‑person batch, comprising six Ghanaians, one Liberian, one Beninese, one Nigerian and one Togolese, arrived at Freetown International Airport and underwent immigration, health and security screening by Sierra Leonean authorities. The arrivals were transferred to Kenvah Solutions (SL) Ltd, the private firm contracted to manage reception, temporary accommodation and case‑management under the Third Country National Agreement (TCNA), which is funded by a US $1.5 million grant and allows up to 25 deportees per month. Since the programme began in May 2026, Sierra Leone has received a total of 32 individuals, with earlier groups already repatriated.

In Belize, a second group of foreign nationals arrived under the Safe Third Country Agreement with the United States. The flight landed at Philip Goldson International Airport with 18 passengers: eleven Belizean nationals and seven third‑country nationals (four Haitians, one Nicaraguan, one Salvadoran and one Honduran). The agreement, limited to ten people per year during its initial two‑year period, requires Belizean authorities to conduct security and background checks before accepting transfers. Attorney General Anthony Sylvestre highlighted the safeguards and the right to suspend the arrangement. Both agreements have drawn criticism from legal and human‑rights groups over their legal frameworks and humanitarian implications.