Ghana has become the latest country to accept people deported from the US as part of its campaign against undocumented migrants. President John Mahama stated that nationals from various West African countries would now be taken in following a bilateral agreement with the US, highlighting that 14 had already arrived.
He cited the regional bloc Ecowas's free movement protocol, which allows citizens of member states to enter and reside in other West African countries without a visa.
Last month, the US deported seven migrants to Rwanda, with previous operations sending five to Eswatini and eight to South Sudan.
The 14 people already deported to Ghana include several Nigerians and a Gambian, according to the president, who noted that arrangements were made to assist their return to their home countries.
We were approached by the US to accept third-party nationals who were being removed from the US. We agreed that West African nationals were acceptable, Mahama said, referring to the lack of visa requirements for movement within the region.
Despite some tensions, such as increased US tariffs on Ghanaian goods and visa restrictions on Ghanaians, Mahama characterized the overall Ghana-US relationship as positive.
The Trump administration had previously sought agreements with several African nations to accept deportees, which has drawn criticism from human rights advocates.
Nigeria, in particular, has resisted pressures to accept US deportees, maintaining a firm stance against the policy.
