Ghana has agreed with the United States to accept West Africans deported from the US. Ghanaian President John Mahama summarized the situation on Wednesday with the following statement:
“The US approached us to accept third-country nationals deported from the United States. We agreed with them that West African nationals were acceptable.”
President Mahama explained that the first group consisted of 14 people, who were quickly sent back to their home countries. According to the statement, this group included Nigerians and Gambians.
Rising Tensions with the US
Recently, the United States announced an increase in tariffs on Ghanaian goods and imposed restrictions on visas issued to Ghanaian nationals.
President Mahama noted that these measures had heightened tensions between the two countries but added that relations with the US remain positive.
Public Backlash over Nigerian Refugees
In the past, Ghana had already opened its doors to many Nigerian refugees, which sparked public backlash.
Many Ghanaians accused these migrants of being responsible for rising crime, prostitution, and economic instability in the country.
To ease these tensions, Nigeria sent a special envoy at the end of July, while its foreign ministry called for calm. During this period, Ghanaian and Nigerian officials held talks to defuse the situation.
US Pressure on Nigeria
The United States also made a similar request to Nigeria, asking the country to take in Venezuelan undocumented migrants.
However, Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar firmly rejected this request, stating that recent tariff increases should be seen as a form of pressure or threat.