Ghana has agreed to accept West African nationals deported from the United States, President John Mahama said, after a bilateral approach from Washington to take in third-country nationals being removed from the US.
Mahama told reporters that 14 people had already arrived in Ghana, including "several" Nigerians and a Gambian. He said the Nigerians had been escorted back to their home country by bus and that the Gambian was still being assisted to return. The president did not give a total figure for how many deportees Ghana would accept under the agreement.
"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," Mahama said, citing the Economic Community of West African States' (ECOWAS) protocol on free movement. "All our fellow West African nationals don't need visas to come to our country."
The announcement follows a broader US policy drive that has seen migrants removed to African countries in recent months. Last month, the US deported seven migrants to Rwanda. In the preceding month, five were sent to Eswatini and eight to South Sudan. Rights groups have criticized the practice of sending deportees to third countries, arguing it can violate migrants' rights and protections.
Some African governments have resisted US requests to accept third-country nationals. Nigeria has publicly opposed the policy and said it would not bow to pressure to accept deportees who are not its citizens. Mahama acknowledged some strains in relations with Washington, pointing to higher US tariffs on Ghanaian goods and new visa restrictions on Ghanaian nationals, but said bilateral ties remained "positive."
Experts and rights advocates have raised concerns about the legal and humanitarian implications of third-country deportations. Those concerns center on whether deportations respect migrants' nationality, due process and the capacity of receiving states to screen, shelter and repatriate individuals to their countries of origin. Ghana's reliance on ECOWAS rules — which allow citizens of member states to enter and reside in other West African countries without a visa — formed part of the rationale the government gave for accepting West African nationals.
Mahama did not detail the procedures Ghana would use to identify and process the deportees or whether the government would receive compensation or logistical support from the United States. He said only that Ghana had agreed to accept "West African nationals" and had already facilitated the onward return of some.
The exchange highlights growing cooperation between the US and some African states on migration management, even as the approach has prompted debate about responsibility for migrants and the role of regional agreements in shaping state responses. Humanitarian groups continue to monitor removals and settlements to ensure they comply with international protections for migrants and asylum seekers.