The story so far:
The Trump administration in the U.S. has struck secretive deals with several countries, mainly African and Central American countries, to accept non-citizen deportees, also known as third-country nationals (TCNs). Mexico, El Salvador, South Sudan, Eswatini, Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, and Uganda are among the growing list of countries that have accepted such deportees in exchange for millions of dollars. Human rights organisations and activists have flagged that many of these countries have a long record of committing human rights abuses, trafficking, and corruption.
The migrants Trump is deporting
“On day one, I will launch the largest deportation program of criminals in the history of America,” Donald Trump said during his Presidential campaign in New York.
As of October 2025, more than five lakh migrants have been deported from the U.S. since January. In this mass deportation scheme, Mr. Trump has also escalated third-country deportations, a step that was rarely used in the past.
