Ghana accepts 14 West African deportees from US, helps return home

Ghana has accepted a group of 14 West African nationals deported from the United States and has already helped most of them return to their home countries, President John Dramani Mahama said Wednesday. The group, which Mahama said included Nigerians and one Gambian, arrived in Accra after Washington approached Ghana to take third country nationals being expelled from the United States, he told reporters.

Mahama said Ghana agreed to accept only West African nationals because citizens of the region can travel freely across borders without visas under regional rules. "All our fellow West African nationals do not need visas to come to our country," he said, adding that Ghana had facilitated the return of the Nigerians by bus and was assisting the Gambian to get home. Mahama did not provide details on the individuals' immigration or criminal histories.

Ghana’s move makes it the first West African country to publicly announce an agreement with the United States to receive deported third country nationals, according to reports. It also joins a growing list of African countries that have taken similar deportees under arrangements struck with the U.S. government. In recent months the...