Liberia: 12 Deportees from America Arrive in Monrovia; Quarantined as COVID-19 Precaution

Monrovia – A special US flight arrived in Monrovia just before midday Wednesday bringing in a dozen deportees from the United States of America.

Immigration authorities told FrontPageAfrica that all twelve deportees were immediately processed after landing at the Roberts International Airport(RIA) and escorted to Star Base, Bushrod Island for quarantine.

It is not clear whether all twelve were processed for the deadly Coronavirus prior to being deported but authorities say they are being quarantined for fourteen days as a precaution.

A senior government official, speaking on condition of anonymity Wednesday said the deportees were quarantined in the US at a holding center but not tested for COVID-19 prior to being sent off. “They were tested for other diseases but not COVID-19. Told they were kept at a center for more than two weeks before being brought; and there was no incident of COVID-19 at the Center. We are quarantining them for 14 days.”

The deportees’ arrival comes as the United States government continue its mass deportation of undesirable aliens involved in a wave of crimes. The US has been criticized for shipping deportees in the midst of a deadly Coronavirus pandemic.

Last week, the Medical group, Medicins Sans Frontier urged the US to halt the deportation to countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Haiti due to COVID-19. 

“Despite the risk of contagion and the implications for people’s health, the US has continued to organize flights to deport migrants and asylum seekers to their countries of origin, most with fragile health systems,” said Marc Bosch, coordinator of MSF in Latin America.

According to the deportation list in possession of FrontPageAfrica, the deportees, all males from New Orleans, Atlanta, St. Paul Minnesota and Philadelphia were engaged in numerous offenses during their stay in the US, including aggravated assault, cruelty toward child, identity theft, drug trafficking, burglary, possession of weapons, sex assault and fraud.

Last week, Guatemalan Alejandro Giammattei questioned his country’s relationship with the United States, revealing frustration over the US continuing to send deportees infected with COVID-19 to a country struggling to manage the crisis. “This of allies with the United States isn’t true,” President Alejandro Giammattei said. “Guatemala is an ally of the United States, but the United States is not Guatemala’s ally. They don’t treat us like an ally.”

According to the deportation list in possession of FrontPageAfrica, the deportees, all males from New Orleans, Atlanta, St. Paul Minnesota and Philadelphia were engaged in numerous offenses during their stay in the US, including aggravated assault, cruelty toward child, identity theft, drug trafficking, burglary, possession of weapons, sex assault and fraud.

Since the outbreak started in March, the US Immigration and Custom Enforcement(ICE) has completed 17,965 removals, according to agency records. Total deportations have declined so far in April, however, with 2,985 removals of foreign nationals from all countries.