The government of Ghana has officially begun receiving West African nationals deported from the United States, a move confirmed by President John Dramani Mahama on Wednesday in Accra.
According to reports, the first group of returnees arrived in Ghana earlier this week. The deportees included 14 individuals made up of Nigerians, a Gambian, and other West Africans. Ghanaian officials stated that arrangements were in place to facilitate their safe return to their countries of origin.
President Mahama explained that the United States approached Ghana with a request to receive third-country nationals targeted for deportation under Washington’s current immigration enforcement campaign. He said Ghana agreed, provided the deportees were fellow West Africans.
“We were approached by the US to accept third-party nationals who were being removed from the US, and we agreed with them that West African nationals were acceptable because all our fellow West Africans don’t need a visa to come to our country,” Mahama stated.
The president emphasized that this policy was consistent with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) free movement protocol, which allows citizens of the sub-region to enter Ghana without visas. “West Africans don’t need a visa anyway to come into Ghana,” he added.
The development comes amid intensified deportation exercises ordered by United States President Donald Trump, who has advocated for transferring deportees to “third countries” as part of his restrictive immigration agenda. Trump had previously directed deportations to countries such as Eswatini, South Sudan, and Rwanda despite objections from international rights groups about potential risks.
Notably, Nigeria rejected a similar arrangement. In July, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, stated that Abuja would not accept deportees from outside its territory, citing economic and security implications.
In July, Trump also met with leaders of Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal at the White House, where one of the main objectives was persuading them to accept deported migrants.
This move highlights contrasting immigration stances within West Africa, with Ghana taking a more open approach compared to Nigeria’s rejection.
okay.ng reports that Ghana’s cooperation with the United States reflects both humanitarian considerations and regional policy alignment, although it continues to raise broader questions about sovereignty, migration, and human rights.
