MoU for Ghana to accept deportees from US

Ghana’s arrangement to accept deportees from the United States (US) is covered by a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and comes with no financial payments to Ghana, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has said.

He said it was only an MoU that Ghana has with the US, and not a formal agreement, which would have required Parliamentary ratification.

President John Dramani Mahama last week confirmed that Ghana has joined four other African countries in reaching an agreement with Washington to accept deportees from the United States.

President Mahama revealed that 14 deportees, among them Nigerians and one Gambian national, had already arrived in Ghana before being transferred to their home countries.

There has been some reactions with some suggesting that the move requires Parliamentary ratification in Ghana.

But speaking at a press briefing in Accra dubbed ‘Government Accountability Series’ on Monday, [September 15, 2025], the Minister of Foreign Affairs said the MoU was carefully examined by Cabinet and vetted by the Attorney-General before approval.

He stressed that, as an MoU, it does not at this stage require ratification by Parliament as it was not an agreement.

Responding to a question about reports suggesting that some deportees were transported under harsh conditions, Mr Ablakwa explained that Ghana’s role should be viewed as “humanitarian” and rooted in Pan-African solidarity.

“We are only helping our brothers and sisters,” he said.

“That is why we made it clear to the Americans that we will not accept even one dollar. We don’t want any money because it could create the wrong impression that we are motivated by financial considerations.”

He indicated that the scope of the MoU was limited.

“For now, the strict understanding we have with the Americans is that we are only going to take West Africans,” he said, adding that every person is vetted so that those considered hardened criminals are excluded.

Mr Ablakwa noted that Ghana’s involvement should be understood as humanitarian.

“We are only helping our brothers and sisters. We are coming in purely on humanitarian grounds, expressing Pan-African solidarity, which Ghana is famed for. So we should rather be seen as a country that wants to look out for its fellow Africans.”

The minister said the government had turned down financial offers from Washington to avoid any doubt about its intentions.

“That is why we made it clear to the Americans that we will not accept $1. We don’t want any, because it comes with some financial burden, hosting them, taking care of the accommodation and all of that before they transition to their countries. But we said that we will not, because it could be misconstrued. And the impression could be created that we are doing this for some other motive, some financial objective. We are not seeking any financial gain at all.”