Three in Ten Migrants Deported to Third Countries Are Venezuelan, Report Finds

Nearly one-third of migrants deported to countries where they are neither citizens nor natives are Venezuelans, according to a new report, as the Trump administration intensifies its immigration crackdown.

Data from the University of California’s Deportation Data Project, reviewed by the Miami Herald, shows Venezuelans make up the largest share of these third-country deportations.

In the first half of the year, close to 3,000 Venezuelans were deported to third countries. The dataset is likely incomplete, but it includes over 200 Venezuelans sent to a mega-prison in El Salvador. Many detainees reported abuse before being released under a three-part agreement between the U.S., Venezuela, and El Salvador.

Most Venezuelans have been sent to Spanish-speaking nations like Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, and Spain. However, deportations have also included two to Austria, one to Italy, one to Syria, and one to the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu.

Overall, authorities recorded 7,900 third-country deportations this year, with Venezuelans accounting for 36.71%, followed by Guatemalans (20%) and Hondurans (7.8%).

Florida immigration attorney Elizabeth Amaran told the Miami Herald that migrants sent to Mexico receive only a 10-day transit permit and cannot apply for asylum or residency. Mexican officials then order them to leave the country.

Expanding Deportation Destinations

The Trump administration is actively seeking new countries to receive migrants. Earlier this week, Rwanda agreed to take up to 250 migrants under a June agreement. Government spokesperson Yolande Makolo said Rwanda accepted “in part because nearly every Rwandan family has experienced the hardships of displacement, and our societal values are founded on reintegration and rehabilitation.”

Migrants have also been relocated to Costa Rica, Panama, and South Sudan, where eight men were recently sent in a high-profile case. Kosovo has agreed to host 50 deportees, describing the move as a “temporary relocation” while arrangements are made for their safe return to their home countries.