Trump Begins Deportation of Nigerians as Ghana Confirms Arrival of West African Migrants
- President Donald Trump has deported the first group of West African nationals under his intensified immigration policy, with 14 individuals arriving in Ghana
- Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama confirmed the country’s agreement to accept deportees, citing regional visa-free travel arrangements
- The move marks a significant step in the Trump administration’s push to expand third-country deportations across Africa
President John Dramani Mahama confirmed late Wednesday that Ghana had accepted a group of 14 West African nationals deported from the United States, marking the first wave of removals under President Donald Trump’s intensified immigration policy.
Among the deportees were several Nigerians and one Gambian, Mahama said, adding that Ghana had facilitated their onward return to their respective home countries.
Source: Getty Images
Ghana’s role in Trump’s third-country deportation strategy
Mahama revealed that the United States had approached Ghana with a request to accept third-party nationals as part of its broader campaign to deter illegal immigration.
The Ghanaian government agreed to the proposal, citing regional travel protocols.
“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 stated.
While the president did not specify a limit on the number of deportees Ghana would accept, he defended the decision by noting that West Africans “don’t need a visa anyway” to enter Ghana.
Trump’s hardline immigration policy targets African migrants
President Trump has adopted a stringent stance on immigration, pledging to deport millions of undocumented individuals and expand removals to third countries.
The administration has reportedly engaged several African governments in negotiations to accept deportees, with Ghana now among the first to publicly confirm its cooperation.
In recent months, the U.S. has deported five individuals to Eswatini and eight to South Sudan. Rwanda also received seven deportees in August following an agreement to accept up to 250 migrants from the United States.
West African leaders pressured to cooperate
On July 9, Trump hosted five West African presidents at the White House. Sources told Reuters that one of the key objectives of the meeting was to encourage these leaders to accept deportees from other nations. President Mahama was not among the attendees.
While the deportation strategy has drawn criticism from migrant advocacy groups, citing safety concerns for returnees, the Trump administration has continued to pursue high-profile removals as a deterrent to illegal immigration.
Source: Getty Images
Trump to deport 201 Nigerians
Legit.ng earlier reported that no fewer than 201 Nigerians are set to be deported from the United States in accordance with President Donald Trump’s immigration policy.
Among them, 85 have been cleared for immediate deportation. According to the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills Jr., the first batch of deportees includes those serving jail terms in U.S. prisons.
According to The Nation, during a meeting with Nigeria's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mrs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the US official disclosed that deportees would be taken to Lagos.
Source: Legit.ng
