Govt to Ensure Safe Return and Reintegration of 160 Ghanaians Facing deportation from US - Ablakwa

Apr 17, 2025 - 14:05

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa is Ghana's Foreign Affairs Minister

Accra, Ghana - 17 April, 2025 - Ghana's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is proactively working to ensure the safe return and reintegration of approximately 160 Ghanaians facing deportation from the United States, according to Foreign Affiars Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.

Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announced at a press conference in Accra, just before the ECOWAS at 50 launch, that the government is working hard to guarantee a safe and dignified return for Ghanaians facing deportation.

This development comes amid intensified immigration enforcement in the US, with over 3,500 undocumented immigrants arrested since President Donald Trump's inauguration. The United States is home to around 11 million undocumented immigrants, and Ghana is among the countries with citizens in this situation, with approximately 160 Ghanaians facing deportation.

“The number, as we have received from our foreign service officials, is that about 160 Ghanaians are on the deportation list, and the deportation exercise is going on. For us, on the grounds of humanitarian reasons and human rights, we have decided not to publicise information about them.

He noted that the ministry is taking comprehensive measures to facilitate the returnees' smooth transition back into Ghanaian society, including reunification with their families.

“So, when they arrive, our team welcomes them and helps them with integration and connects them with their families. We are also working with other partners quietly because it is important that we respect the dignity of our fellow compatriots and not expose them to media coverage,” he stated.

In a similar development in 2019, 52 Ghanaians were deported from the US and Saudi Arabia for various offenses, including immigration-related issues, trafficking of banned substances, and illegal stay. The Ghana Immigration Service received 40 deportees from the US, comprising 38 males and two females, who were assisted upon arrival.

Source: Lead News Online