The government of Ghana has confirmed that it will accept West African nationals deported from the United States, including Nigerians, as part of a fresh cooperation agreement with Washington.
President John Dramani Mahama, speaking in Accra on Wednesday, revealed that the first group of 14 deportees—made up of Nigerians and one Gambian—had already landed in the country earlier this week. He explained that under ECOWAS’ free movement protocol, citizens from the region do not require visas to enter Ghana.
“Ghana is willing to accept them because as ECOWAS nationals, they are allowed to stay here without visas,” Mahama said, while addressing journalists.
Lens News gathered that the deal was struck after pressure from US authorities to secure a host country for deportees whose direct repatriation to their home nations faced delays. Ghana, with its regional travel policy, was seen as the easiest entry point.
The announcement has stirred debate across West Africa. Critics argue that Ghana risks being overwhelmed by a wave of deportees with uncertain legal or criminal histories, while supporters insist the move strengthens regional solidarity and fulfills ECOWAS obligations.
The US has long pushed African nations to take back more of their citizens, but this agreement with Ghana marks the first formal arrangement of its kind in West Africa.
For Nigeria, the development raises fresh questions about how deported citizens will be processed and eventually reintegrated once they cross back from Ghana.
Mahama did not state any limit on the number of people Ghana might accept, leaving open the possibility of more arrivals in the coming weeks.
With deportations continuing under Washington’s tough immigration stance, the coming months will reveal just how many West Africans are sent back—and how Ghana, Nigeria, and neighboring states manage the social and political fallout.
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