Ghana has agreed to accept undocumented migrants deported from the United States. The country joins Rwanda, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), South Sudan, and Uganda, which have signed similar agreements.
The move follows U.S. tariffs of 15% on Ghanaian goods and the threat of a visa ban. President John Mahama stated that his country had been approached by the U.S. to accept individuals deported from American territory, emphasizing that this would involve only West African nationals. He also highlighted that there is a free-movement agreement within the West African Economic Community (ECOWAS), allowing citizens of member states to enter other West African countries without a visa and stay for up to 90 days.
Mahama described relations between Ghana and the United States as an “escalating situation,” pointing to increased U.S. tariffs on Ghanaian goods and visa restrictions for Ghanaian nationals. The United States is Ghana’s sixth-largest trading partner.
Nigeria, which had vocally opposed such agreements, stated that it would not yield to pressure to accept migrants from third countries deported from the U.S.