Ghana Agrees to Receive West Africans Deported from the US

September 15, 2025

Ghana has confirmed that it will begin accepting West African nationals deported from the United States. The first group of 14 deportees, including Nigerians, a Gambian, and others, has already arrived in Accra, where authorities are working to facilitate their return to their home countries.

President John Dramani Mahama explained that Ghana accepted the arrangement because West Africans can already travel to Ghana without a visa. “Our fellow West Africans don’t need a visa to enter Ghana, so it was acceptable to receive them temporarily,” he said.

This move comes amid Washington’s intensified deportation policy under President Donald Trump, who has sought agreements with African nations to host deported migrants. Similar arrangements have previously seen deportees sent to countries like Eswatini, South Sudan, and Rwanda, drawing criticism from rights groups concerned about migrant safety.

While Ghana has agreed to cooperate, Nigeria has firmly rejected the proposal, saying it will not accept deportees who are not Nigerian citizens. The country’s Foreign Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, argued that doing so would raise serious security and economic challenges.

In July, Trump hosted five West African leaders at the White House in a bid to secure their support for such deportation agreements. Leaders of Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal were among those in attendance.