Sierra Leone has agreed to receive Nigerians and other West African migrants being deported from the United States under a new arrangement linked to U.S. immigration enforcement policies.
The development was confirmed by Sierra Leone’s Foreign Minister, Timothy Kabba, who disclosed that the agreement forms part of a broader cooperation deal between both countries.
According to Kabba, the first batch of so-called third-country deportees is expected to arrive in Sierra Leone on May 20. The group will reportedly consist of 25 individuals from Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana and Guinea.
He explained that Sierra Leone signed a “Third Country National Agreement” with the United States, allowing the country to accept up to 300 citizens from member states of the Economic Community of West African States annually, with a monthly limit of 25 deportees.
“Sierra Leone signed a Third Country National Agreement with the U.S. to accept 300 ECOWAS citizens from the U.S. per year with a maximum of 25 a month,” Kabba stated.
The agreement is part of efforts by the administration of Donald Trump to accelerate deportations of undocumented migrants and individuals facing immigration-related removal proceedings in the United States.
Reports indicate that the U.S. has previously transferred third-country deportees to several African nations, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Eswatini.
However, the policy has continued to generate criticism from legal experts and human rights organisations, many of whom question the legality of relocating migrants to countries where they are not citizens.
Sierra Leone’s decision to only receive deportees from ECOWAS member states mirrors a similar arrangement previously reached with Ghana.
According to earlier reports, some migrants deported to African countries under similar agreements eventually returned to their home countries despite having court-ordered protections in the United States intended to prevent such deportations.
It remains unclear whether the deportees arriving in Sierra Leone will be permitted to settle permanently in the country or eventually be returned to their nations of origin.
A spokesperson for the Sierra Leonean government reportedly did not immediately provide further clarification on the matter, while Kabba also did not disclose what benefits Sierra Leone would receive in exchange for participating in the arrangement.
“It’s part of our bilateral relationship with the U.S. to assist with its immigration policy,” the foreign minister stated.
