ACCRA, Sept 12 (NNN-GNA) — President John Dramani Mahama has reiterated the country’s commitment to receiving West African nationals deported from the United States of America as President Donald Trump’s immigration policy targeting illegal migrants takes effect.
So far, 14 deportees, including Nigerians and one Gambian, have already arrived in Ghana and are on the shoulders of the government to facilitate their return to their home countries.
President John Dramani Mahama stated this during his maiden encounter with the press since he led his National Democratic Congress to win political power and formed the government eight months ago.
Addressing the media at the Jubilee House, he said, “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.”
He stated that Ghana could not reject or turn away the West African deportees because, as a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Ghana is bound by ECOWAS protocols, which permit West Africans to travel to any ECOWAS country, including Ghana, without visas.
However, Mahama did not specify how many deportees Ghana would accept, but per ECOWAS protocols, the deportees could stay for at least 90 days.
The Trump administration’s deportations of undocumented immigrants are accelerating as part of a broader crackdown on unauthorised immigration.
The focus so far has been on immigration raids across the country and hundreds of deportation flights, mainly to Latin American countries.
The Trump administration has approached several African governments about accepting deportees as part of its campaign to deter immigration through high-profile deportations to so-called “third countries.”
In some cases, migrants have voiced concerns for their safety. — NNN-GNA
