Key points:
- 14 migrants already sent to Ghana
- Mahama cites visa-free West Africa travel
- Part of Trump’s wider deportation drive
GHANA has agreed to accept West African nationals deported from the United States, with President John Dramani Mahama confirming that 14 migrants have already arrived under the new arrangement.
Mahama told reporters late Wednesday that Washington approached Accra to host third-country nationals who had been removed from the US. The president said the agreement covers citizens of West African states that enjoy visa-free entry to Ghana.
‘We were approached by the US to accept third-party nationals who were being removed from the US, and we agreed that West African nationals were acceptable because all our fellow West Africans don’t need a visa to come to our country,’ Mahama explained.
First arrivals include Nigerians and a Gambian
The first group of 14 deportees arrived in Accra earlier this week, comprising mainly Nigerians and one Gambian. Ghana’s government has assisted them in travelling on to their respective home countries, Mahama said. He did not set a limit on the number of deportees Ghana may receive in future.
The move comes as US President Donald Trump intensifies efforts to deport migrants who are in the country illegally and to transfer some to third countries. Trump has described the policy as a key deterrent against unlawful immigration.
Regional trend of US deportations
Ghana’s agreement reflects a broader push by Washington to secure deals across Africa for high-profile removals. In recent months, the US deported five people to Eswatini and eight to South Sudan. Rwanda accepted seven migrants in August after striking a transfer accord for up to 250 people.
Trump met five West African presidents at the White House on July 9, where one agenda item was encouraging leaders to accept deportees from other nations. Mahama did not attend that meeting.
Domestic context
The president emphasised that Ghana’s role in accepting deportees aligns with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) principle of free movement. ‘Our neighbours don’t need visas to come to Ghana,’ he reiterated.
By working with Washington, Ghana joins a growing list of African nations cooperating with the United States on immigration enforcement, even as concerns persist among migrants about their safety after deportation.
