Ghanaian President, John Mahama, has confirmed that his country has begun accepting West Africans deported from the United States under a controversial arrangement with Washington.
Naija News reports that Mahama told reporters on Wednesday that Accra had agreed to a request from the US government to take in third-country nationals from the sub-region in line with ECOWAS protocols that allow visa-free travel within West Africa.
Mahama stated, “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.”
According to the President, the first batch of 14 deportees had already arrived in Ghana. He revealed that the group included “several Nigerians” who have since returned to their home country, as well as one individual from The Gambia.
Ghana, which already hosts a sizeable Nigerian immigrant population, has in recent weeks witnessed sporadic anti-Nigerian protests, with some demonstrators accusing Nigerians of rising crime, prostitution, and unfair economic competition.
In response, Nigeria sent a special envoy to Accra in late July while both governments held talks aimed at calming tensions.
Mahama admitted that Ghana’s ties with Washington had come under strain amid the deportation arrangement.
He pointed out that the United States had recently increased tariffs on Ghanaian goods and restricted visa issuance to Ghanaian nationals.
“Relations between Accra and Washington are tightening, though they remain positive,” the Ghanaian leader said.
Neighbouring Nigeria has publicly resisted similar pressure from Washington.
Foreign Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, in a July interview with Channels Television, said the US was pushing African countries to accept deported Venezuelans, including some allegedly sent directly from prisons.
“It will be difficult for Nigeria to accept Venezuelan prisoners,” Tuggar said, suggesting that recent US tariff threats were linked to disagreements over deportations.
The deportation arrangement comes against the backdrop of US President, Donald Trump’s hardline immigration stance, which has seen hundreds of people deported to countries where many had never lived.
Under the policy, Washington has deported hundreds to Panama and El Salvador, with reports that some were removed before their asylum claims could be processed. In some instances, deportation flights went ahead despite US judges ordering planes to turn back.
The Trump administration has also deported individuals to South Sudan, despite its ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis, raising fresh concerns over the human rights implications of third-country deportations.
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