US-Ghana Deportation Agreement: Ghana Begins Accepting US Deportees
Africa Becomes Dumping Place – Ghana has officially commenced accepting deportees from the United States. This  follows a new agreement between the two nations.
President John Dramani Mahama confirmed the development on Thursday. The president stated that an initial group of 14 individuals had already arrived in Ghana before being transferred to their home countries, which included Nigerians and one Gambian.
The deportation agreement comes as Washington has hiked tariffs on Ghanaian goods and restricted visas issued to its nationals.
Mahama described relations between Accra and Washington as “tightening”, though he said relations remained positive.
Neighbouring Nigeria, for its part, has pushed back against accepting third-party deportees.
“The US is mounting considerable pressure on African countries to accept Venezuelans to be deported from the US, some straight out of prisons,” Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar said in an interview with local broadcaster Channels Television in July.
“It will be difficult for Nigeria to accept Venezuelan prisoners,” he said, going on to suggest that recent tariff threats were related to the issue of deportations.
“We were approached by the US to accept third-party nationals who were being removed from the US,” Mahama explained to journalists. “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.” However, the President did not specify the total number of deportees Ghana has ultimately agreed to receive.
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The Context of the US-Ghana Deportation Deal
This arrangement coincides with recent diplomatic tensions. Specifically, Washington simultaneously raised tariffs on Ghanaian goods from 10 to 15 percent and limited visas for Ghanaians to single-entry permits valid for only three months. Consequently, this US-Ghana deportation agreement emerges amidst a complex backdrop of bilateral negotiations and policy shifts.
Africa Becomes Dumping Place – Ghana Joins Growing List of African Deportation Partners
With this move, Ghana becomes the fifth African nation to enter into such a US-Ghana deportation agreement. Previously, in August, Uganda’s foreign ministry declared it would accept certain deported migrants provided they had no criminal records and were not unaccompanied minors. Similarly, Rwanda confirmed its own deal with Washington that same month.
Furthermore, last week, South Sudan reported it had repatriated a Mexican man deported from the US in July. In a parallel event, men from Vietnam, Jamaica, Laos, Yemen, and Cuba were flown to Eswatini in July, illustrating the expanding scope of this US policy.
The US Policy of Third-Country Deportations
This series of agreements stems from a broader US immigration strategy. President Donald Trump has consistently vowed to intensify the removal of illegal immigrants and, importantly, to increase deportations to third countries. At a rally in Arizona, Trump fiercely criticized the immigration policies of his predecessor, Joe Biden, declaring, “We’re a dumping ground… We’re like a garbage can for the world.”
Moreover, the administration has actively implemented this vision. For example, the US deported hundreds of people to Panama in February. It removed some before officials fully processed their asylum claims. Later, the government invoked an obscure 18th-century law. It used this law to expel hundreds more to El Salvador. The US accused these individuals of being Venezuelan gang members. In some cases, it deported them despite judges ordering the flights to turn back.
African Nations and the “Dumping Ground” Allegation
Activists fiercely criticize these deportations to Africa. They accuse the US of using the continent as a “dumping ground.” This concern intensified on July 16. Five convicted men were deported to Eswatini. They were from Vietnam, Jamaica, Laos, Cuba, and Yemen.
Following this, Wandile Dludlu, a pro-democracy activist in Eswatini, condemned the move as “distasteful and fraudulent conduct.” Dludlu argued that this decision is attracting indignation from citizens for the “naked abuse of their sovereignty.” He warned the deportees would strain the country’s prison system. Its facilities are already overcrowded, dilapidated, and operating at over 170 percent capacity.
Africa Becomes Dumping Place – Legal Challenges and Diplomatic Questions
In response, civil society groups, including the Southern Africa Litigation Centre, have threatened legal action against the Eswatini government. They contend that detaining these foreign nationals violates domestic laws, as there is no lawful basis for imprisoning individuals with no legal ties to the country.
Finally, foreign affairs analyst Chris Ogunmodede points out that numerous questions surround these agreements. Analysts now question the legal justification for the transfers. They ask whether officials informed the deportees and granted them consular access. Furthermore, they seek the specific terms and duration of the detention arrangements that the host countries made with the US. The US-Ghana deportation pact will continue fueling diplomatic and ethical debate.
Africa Becomes Dumping Place
