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President John Dramani Mahama has confirmed that Ghana has received the first group of West African nationals deported from the United States under a bilateral arrangement between the two countries.
Addressing journalists at the Presidential Media Encounter on Wednesday, September 10, the President revealed that 14 individuals arrived as part of the initial batch, comprising mostly Nigerians and one Gambian.
“We were approached by the US to accept third-party nationals who were being removed from the US, and we agreed that West African nationals were acceptable, because they don’t require a visa to come to Ghana,” President Mahama explained.
The President noted that Ghana arranged bus transport for the Nigerian deportees to return to their country, while the Gambian national was repatriated with the support of the Gambian Embassy, which secured an air ticket for him.
He stressed that the move was in line with the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement, which allows 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 stay for 90 days. So if our colleagues are being returned, we have no problem accepting them,” he added.
