Sierra Leone has received its first group of deportees from the United States, as President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown expands across Africa.
Arrival in Freetown
On Wednesday, a plane carrying nine migrants landed at Freetown International Airport.
- The group included nationals from Nigeria, Ghana, Guinea, and Senegal.
- Seven men and two women were escorted under police guard, heads bowed, into a minibus.
- Health officials described them as traumatised after months in chains during detention in the U.S.
Foreign Minister Timothy Musa Kabba initially said 25 deportees were expected, later confirming only nine had arrived.
Sierra Leone’s Agreement With Washington
Freetown has agreed to accept up to 300 deportees annually, but only from ECOWAS member states. Some of the migrants hold Sierra Leonean residence permits, giving them a 90‑day stay before returning to their countries of origin.
A foreign ministry document seen by AFP shows the U.S. is providing $1.5 million to cover humanitarian and operational costs linked to the programme.
Wider Crackdown
Sierra Leone joins a growing list of African nations cooperating with Washington, including:
- Cameroon
- DR Congo
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eswatini
- Ghana
- Rwanda
- South Sudan
Some countries, such as the DRC, have even accepted migrants from Latin America under similar arrangements.
Human Rights Concerns
Human Rights Watch has condemned these agreements as “opaque deals” that violate international law, urging African governments to reject them.
Critics argue the deportations lack transparency and fail to protect the rights of migrants, while Washington insists removals are a “top priority.”