US lifts Ghana visa restrictions as country becomes deportation hub

The United States has reversed its visa restrictions connected Ghana, its overseas curate said Friday, arsenic the westbound African federation emerges arsenic a cardinal deportation hub successful President Donald Trump’s migration crackdown.

Earlier this month, Ghanaian President John Mahama revealed that the state was accepting westbound Africans deported by the United States.

US President Donald Trump has made alleged “third-country” deportations a hallmark of his anti-immigration crackdown, sending radical to countries wherever they person nary ties oregon family.

Accra has insisted it has received thing successful instrumentality for taking successful the deportees, though Mahama acknowledged that the woody was struck arsenic relations were “tightening”, with Washington imposing tariffs arsenic good arsenic visa restrictions successful caller months.

“The US visa restrictions imposed connected Ghana” person been “reversed”, Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said.

In a station connected X, Ablakwa said the “good news” was delivered by US officials connected the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

The reversal was the effect of “months of high-level diplomatic negotiations”, Ablakwa said.

In June, the United States announced restrictions connected astir visas for nationals from Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana and Nigeria, restricting them to 3 months and a azygous entry.

“Ghanaians tin present beryllium eligible for five-year aggregate introduction visas and different enhanced consular privileges,” Ablakwa said.

At slightest 14 westbound Africans person been sent to Ghana since the opening of September, though neither Accra nor Washington has made details of the statement public.

They each had won extortion from US migration courts against being deported to their location nations, their lawyers said, adjacent arsenic Ghana has forwarded connected astatine slightest 4 to their state of origin, according to an AFP tally.

After weeks of detention successful Ghana, allegedly nether subject defender and successful mediocre conditions, 8 to 10 of the deportees were abruptly sent to Togo past play and near to fend for themselves, US-based lawyer Meredyth Yoon told AFP.

Another level capable to transportation 14 radical has since arrived successful Ghana, Yoon said, though it was unclear however galore radical were connected it.

Ghana has said it is accepting westbound Africans connected humanitarian grounds and that the woody is not an “endorsement” of US migration policy.

AFP

The station US lifts Ghana visa restrictions arsenic state becomes deportation hub appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.