Liberia says it will accept up to 1,200 foreign nationals deported from the United States over the next year under a new arrangement with the US Government.

The Liberian Government announced the plan on Tuesday as the Trump administration continues its wider crackdown on immigration. The US has expanded efforts to deport migrants, including sending some people to countries that are not their home nations.

According to the Liberian Government, the first group of 20 deportees is expected to arrive in the West African country on Thursday.

Liberia said those transferred under the programme will have options after arriving in the country. They will be free to leave Liberia if they choose. They may also apply for asylum.

The arrangement comes as the US seeks other countries willing to receive deported foreign nationals. Ghana and Equatorial Guinea have also become part of efforts linked to the US immigration crackdown. Authorities in those countries have, in some cases, later sent people to their home nations.

The Trump administration has also reportedly considered sending Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Liberia. Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran immigrant, became widely known after he was mistakenly deported to El Salvador.

The Liberian Government said it did not demand or receive compensation in exchange for accepting the deportees. However, it said Liberia will receive support to help manage the programme and strengthen its wider migration system.

Liberia described the arrangement as humanitarian.

The US State Department declined to comment on the reported scheme.

The move adds Liberia to a growing number of countries involved in US deportation efforts. The policy has raised attention because some migrants may be sent to countries where they were not born or do not hold citizenship.

Liberia has a unique historical connection with the United States. The country was founded in the early 19th century by a society that supported the return of formerly enslaved and freeborn African Americans to Africa.

The Liberian Government has not provided further details about the nationalities of all 1,200 people expected to arrive. However, the first group is expected to begin arriving this week as the programme gets underway.