The President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, announced that the country has agreed to receive West African immigrants deported from the United States and announced that they have already received a first group of 14 people.
“We were approached to accept third country nationals who were being expelled from the United States and we agreed with them that West African nationals were acceptable,” the president said during a press conference late Wednesday. “All our West African compatriots do not need a visa to come to our country,” added John Dramani Mahama.
Ghana receives first group of deportees
The first group of 14 deportees, mostly Nigerians – plus one Gambian and one Ghanaian – has already arrived in Ghana.
They requested to return to their respective countries, for which the Ghanaian government provided them with transportation.
“If they bring back our West African colleagues, we have no problem accepting them,” Mahama reaffirmed.
The President recalled that the agreement to receive African citizens is part of a free movement protocol of the Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS).
It allows citizens of the twelve member states to enter and reside in other countries in the region without a visa for up to 90 days.
Trump pushes for express deportations
U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has contacted some African governments to convince them to accept deportees.
This as part of his immigration policies, which included mass expulsions as one of his main electoral promises.
After the U.S. Supreme Court authorized deportations to third countries last June, Washington resumed deportation flights.
These have so far transported migrants in an express manner to different countries, including several in Africa.
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