By Gloria Nosa
The first group of West African deportees from the United States has arrived in Ghana, President John Mahama confirmed on Wednesday, signaling the beginning of a controversial deportation agreement between Washington and Accra.
Mahama disclosed that 14 individuals, including several Nigerians and one Gambian, had already been flown into Ghana under the arrangement. He explained that Ghana agreed to accept third-party West African nationals in line with the region’s visa-free travel pact.
“We were approached by the U.S. to accept third-party nationals who were being removed from their country. We agreed that West African nationals were acceptable,” Mahama told journalists. However, he did not provide details on the total number of deportees Ghana is expected to take in.
The deportation deal comes at a tense moment in U.S.-Ghana relations. Washington has recently imposed higher tariffs on Ghanaian products while also restricting visas for Ghanaian citizens. Despite these strains, Mahama described the overall relationship as “tightening but still positive.”
The agreement reflects President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration stance, which has included striking similar arrangements with Rwanda, Eswatini, and South Sudan. Nigeria, however, has resisted U.S. pressure to accept third-party deportees, particularly Venezuelan nationals, citing sovereignty and security concerns.
Observers say the U.S. has increasingly relied on deportations to third countries as part of its crackdown on undocumented immigrants, even in cases where deportees have little to no ties to their destination. Human rights groups have criticized this approach, warning of legal and humanitarian risks.
For Ghana, the arrangement represents a delicate balancing act between upholding regional cooperation within West Africa and navigating the shifting demands of its largest foreign partner.
