Ghana receives Nigerians, other West Africans deported from US

Ghana’s President, John Mahama, has confirmed that the country is receiving West African nationals, including Nigerians, deported from the United States as part of a new arrangement with Washington.

Speaking to the BBC on Wednesday, Mahama explained that the move aligns with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) free movement protocol, which allows citizens of member states to travel without visas.

He disclosed that an initial group of 14 deportees, including Nigerians, a Gambian, and other West Africans, had already arrived in Accra. The Ghanaian government arranged transport to return the Nigerians home, while support is being provided for the Gambian national to return to his country.

“We were approached by the US to accept third-party nationals who were being removed from the US,” Mahama said. “And we agreed with them that West African nationals were acceptable. All our fellow West African nationals don’t need visas to come to our country.”

Although Mahama acknowledged that trade tariffs and visa restrictions have strained relations between Ghana and the US, he described the overall partnership as “still positive.”

This development comes amid intensified deportation efforts by US President Donald Trump, who has advocated for sending migrants to “third countries” as part of his immigration crackdown. Recently, seven people were deported to Rwanda, five to Eswatini, and eight to South Sudan.

The policy has drawn heavy criticism from human rights advocates, who argue that expelling migrants to unfamiliar countries violates their rights and leaves them vulnerable.

While Ghana has agreed to cooperate, some African nations have opposed the policy. Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, stated in July that Nigeria would not accept third-country deportees, citing security and economic concerns.