By: Aremu Toyeebaht
Ghana has confirmed it is now receiving West African nationals deported from the United States, including Nigerians, under a new arrangement with Washington.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Mahama disclosed that 14 deportees — including Nigerians, a Gambian, and other West Africans — had already been processed through Accra, with Ghanaian authorities overseeing their return to their respective home countries “We were approached by the U.S. to accept third-party nationals who were being removed from the U.S., and we agreed with them that West African nationals were acceptable because all our fellow West Africans don’t need a visa to come to our country,” Mahama explained.
He emphasized that the arrangement aligns with Ghana’s obligations under the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) free-movement protocol, which allows citizens of member states to travel without visas.
The development comes against the backdrop of President Donald Trump’s intensified immigration crackdown, which includes pressuring African governments to cooperate in deportation schemes. Critics argue that while the policy reduces U.S. immigration backlogs, it risks placing a disproportionate burden on African transit states such as Ghana.
