Ghana Accepts First West African Deportees from the U.S.

Ghanaian President John Mahama has announced that the first group of West African deportees from the U.S. arrived in Ghana.

Mahama said that Ghana had accepted 14 people, including several Nigerians and one Gambian, under a regional visa-free travel arrangement, after the U.S. requested Ghana to take in third-party nationals.

The move formed part of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s broader crackdown on immigration, which had also seen deportees sent to Rwanda, Eswatini, and South Sudan. The agreement came at a time when the U.S. had imposed higher tariffs on Ghanaian goods and visa restrictions on its nationals. Mahama said the relations between Accra and Washington are “tightening”, though he added it remains positive.