Forty more West African nationals in the United States of America (USA) are expected to be deported to Ghana in the coming days, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has disclosed.
Mr Ablakwa said the memorandum of understanding established with the US government allowed for West Africans on the deportation list to be sent to Ghana, considered as a very friendly country, to be reintegrated in their respective countries.
He, however, said deportees with records as “hardened criminals, convicted criminals and persons associated with terrorism and extreme violence as well as persons on the Interpol Wanted List” would not be accepted.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs was speaking on Channel One’s Point of View show hosted by Bernard Koku Avle, a broadcast journalist in Accra, last Wednesday.
The 40 deportees are expected to send the number of West Africans deported into the country to 54, as 14 had earlier been deported this month. Of the 14 deportees, the minister confirmed that 13 were of Nigerian nationality, while one was a Gambian.
Rationale
Mr Ablakwa defended the government’s decision to accept the deportees, saying that the country had over decades propagated Pan-Africanism, an ideal that made the country home to all Africans and would not hesitate to take actions to protect and serve other African nationals.
He emphasised that the government did not agree to accept the West African nationals because it agreed with President Donald Trump’s immigration policies but rather favouring fellow Africans.
“We’re not doing the US a favour; we’re doing our fellow Africans a favour.
We’re offering them refuge; we’re offering them hope. We want them to comeback home and be comfortable.
“We solidarise with them.
When we see those images of the arrests; the violation of their human rights; their detention against their will. It is like nobody wants to take them”, he said.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs affirmed that the government had not received any financial benefits, and that it was accepting the deportees purely on humanitarian grounds.
“We did not accept any financial benefit or whatsoever; we’re doing this because we want to continue to position Ghana as the Mecca for Africans and freedom fighters.
We will avail ourselves to help fellow Africans in distress,” he said.
ECOWAS Protocol, Cooperation
Mr Ablakwa averred that the country was not engaged in any illegality, as it was obliged under the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Protocol of Free Movement to receive West African nationals without visas.
“Under the ECOWAS protocol, West Africans can travel to any country in West Africa without visa and stay for up to 90 days.
Our move is a Pan-African solidarity; let us accept our fellow Africans and make the point that Ghana is their home,” he said.
He indicated that the deportees had the choice to stay for up to 90 days.
He, however, indicated that all deportees had agreed to return to their home countries after some time, which the Ministry of Foreign was facilitating.
“The choice is for the deportees to decide whether to stay in Ghana or return to their home country.
So far, all of them have indicated that they want to return to their home country after some time, and we have been facilitating that”, he said.
