Ghana accepts Nigerians deported from US

Ghana has begun accepting Nigerians and other West African nationals deported from the United States, President John Dramani Mahama said on Wednesday.

The deportations are part of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration.

According to the BBC, Mahama confirmed that nationals from various West African countries would be taken in under a bilateral agreement with the US.

He said 14 people had already arrived.

He explained that the move aligns with ECOWAS’s free movement protocol, which allows citizens of member states to enter and reside in other West African countries for up to 90 days without a visa.

Of the 14 deportees who arrived in Ghana, Mahama said “several” were Nigerians, alongside a Gambian.

He added that Ghana had already facilitated the return of the Nigerians by bus, while the Gambian was still being assisted to return home.

The Trump administration has approached several African nations to accept deportees as part of efforts to deter illegal migration.

Some deported migrants have been from countries including Jamaica, Vietnam, and Laos — a practice rights groups say violates basic rights.

Nigeria, a vocal opponent of the policy, has previously insisted it would not bow to US pressure to accept third-country migrants.

“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 said.

“All our fellow West African nationals don’t need visas to come to our country,” he added.

Mahama described Ghana-US relations as a “tightening situation,” pointing to US tariffs on Ghanaian goods and visa restrictions on its nationals.

However, he stressed that ties between the two countries remained positive.