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 accepted following a bilateral agreement with the US. He confirmed that 14 individuals had already arrived.
He referred to the regional bloc Ecowas's free movement protocol, which permits 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, while earlier, five were sent to Eswatini and eight others to South Sudan.
The 14 deportees received by Ghana include several Nigerians and a Gambian, although the president did not specify the total number of deportees the country will ultimately accept.
Mahama stated that Ghana had already facilitated the return of the Nigerians to their country by bus, while the Gambian was still being assisted to return home.
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 explained. All our fellow West African nationals don't need visas to come to our country, he added.
Mahama characterized Ghana-US relations as a tightening situation, highlighting increased US tariffs on Ghanaian goods and visa restrictions impacting Ghanaian nationals. However, he maintained that relations remained positive.
The Trump administration has reached out to several African nations regarding the acceptance of deportees as part of its strategy to deter immigration. Some deportees have included citizens from countries like Jamaica, Vietnam, and Laos, leading rights organizations to argue that such actions violate their basic rights.
Meanwhile, some countries, including Nigeria, have opposed this deportation strategy. Nigeria has explicitly stated its refusal to accept third-country prisoners returned from the US.
