Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has disclosed that the country will soon receive an additional 40 West African deportees from the United States.
His revelation comes amid criticism from the Minority, who earlier questioned the government’s acceptance of 14 deportees, arguing that the decision bypassed parliamentary approval.
According to the government, the arrangement is covered by a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the US, which does not require ratification.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Point of View on Wednesday, September 17, Ablakwa confirmed the imminent arrival of the new batch.
“I can reveal to you that we’re expecting another 40 in the next few days. We vet them before they come,” he said.
Humanitarian Grounds, Not Politics
Ablakwa emphasized that the decision was guided purely by humanitarian considerations, stressing that Ghana was not aligning itself with US immigration policies.
“We didn’t agree to this because we agree with President Trump’s immigration policies. We’re not doing the US a favour. We’re doing our fellow Africans a favour; we’re offering them refuge, hope, and we want them to come back home and be comfortable.”
He added that the government’s position was influenced by the disturbing treatment deportees faced abroad.
“We solidarised with them when we saw those images, the arrests, the violation of their rights, and their being detained against their will. It was purely on a humanitarian basis; we did not take any financial benefits. We’re doing this because we want to continue to position Ghana as the Mecca for Africans.”
