President John Mahama has confirmed the arrival of the first batch of West African nationals deported from the United States under a bilateral agreement between the two countries.
Speaking at the Presidential Media Encounter at Jubilee House on Wednesday, the President revealed that 14 individuals were part of the initial group, most of whom were Nigerians, with one Gambian national included.
“We were approached by the US to accept third-party nationals who were being removed from the US, and then 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.
“So if they decided to travel from the US to Accra, they don’t need a visa anyway. So if you are bringing our colleague West Africans back, that’s okay,” President Mahama explained.
The President noted that Ghana facilitated the return of the Nigerian deportees to their home country by providing bus transportation. In contrast, the Gambian national required additional coordination with the Gambian Embassy to secure an air ticket for repatriation.
President Mahama emphasized that Ghana’s participation in the deportation arrangement aligns with the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement, which permits citizens of member states to enter and reside in other West African countries without a visa for up to 90 days.
“West Africa has the protocol of free movement, and so any West African is free to come to Ghana and be able to stay for 90 days. And so if they are bringing our colleagues back, we don’t have a problem accepting them,” he said.
