Ghana has agreed to accept West African nationals deported from the United States, and the first group of 14 has already arrived in Accra, President John Dramani Mahama confirmed late Wednesday.
The announcement comes amid a wider campaign by the Trump administration to accelerate removals and push African governments to take in deportees from third countries.
Ghana’s role in fight against deportations
Mahama explained that the arrivals included Nigerians and one Gambian, who were subsequently assisted by the Ghanaian government in returning to their respective home countries. He did not set a cap on the number of deportees Ghana would be willing to take, but said the decision was made on practical grounds.
“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 told reporters.
The agreement highlights Ghana’s emerging role as a regional hub for handling deportations. Mahama framed the decision as one grounded in regional solidarity and the shared mobility that exists within West Africa.
Trump’s campaign of high-profile deportations
President Donald Trump has taken a hardline stance on immigration, pushing to deport millions of undocumented immigrants and expanding removals to third countries. His administration has approached several African governments to secure agreements similar to Ghana’s.
In July, the U.S. deported five individuals to Eswatini and another eight to South Sudan. The following month, Rwanda received seven deportees after agreeing to accept up to 250 migrants from the U.S.
According to Reuters, Trump also hosted five West African presidents at the White House in July, pressing leaders to accept deportees from other nations as part of his wider immigration strategy. Mahama was not part of that gathering.
The Ghanaian leader emphasized that while his country is facilitating deportees’ safe transit, the decision should be seen as consistent with long-standing policies of intra-regional access across West Africa. His remarks come at a time when debates over deportation are intensifying across the continent, with concerns growing over the safety and reintegration of those sent back.
