Palau receives first migrant deported from the United States under new relocation pact

First arrival under December pact

Palau received its first migrant deported from the United States at the end of May, authorities announced on Wednesday.

“We received our first individual at the airport at the end of May, drove them to their temporary residence and helped them connect their phone and settle in.”

The arrival marks the initial step under a memorandum of understanding signed in December last year.

Terms of the agreement

The deal allows as many as 75 third-country nationals coming from the U.S. to live and work in the Pacific archipelago. All must have no criminal charges or convictions and will hold positions described as "useful to the state." Palau, home to roughly 20,000 inhabitants spread across hundreds of volcanic islands, is one of the world’s least populous countries.

Strategic compact with Washington

Located about 800 kilometers east of the Philippines, Palau gained independence in 1994 but remains tied to the United States under a Compact of Free Association. That arrangement grants the U.S. military access to its territory and, in return, provides Palau with hundreds of millions of dollars in budget support and a U.S. defense guarantee.

A wider deportation strategy

The relocation forms part of a broader push under the Trump administration to deport undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers. U.S. officials have also proposed sending such individuals to countries including Uganda, El Salvador, and Rwanda.