Sierra Leone has agreed to take in hundreds of West African migrants being deported by the United States. This marks the latest such agreement by the U.S. administration to speed up removals. Foreign Minister Timothy Kabba announced the deal to Reuters.
The first flight is scheduled to arrive in Sierra Leone on May 20, 2026. It will carry 25 nationals from Senegal, Ghana, Guinea, and Nigeria. Sierra Leone signed a Third Country National Agreement with the U.S. The agreement allows for 300 citizens from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) per year. A maximum of 25 individuals will be deported each month.
Such deals have been controversial. The U.S. has previously sent deportees to countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and Eswatini. This has led to criticism from legal experts and human rights groups. They question the legal basis for these transfers. Concerns also exist about the treatment of deportees in countries where they are not citizens.
Sierra Leone’s arrangement specifically covers deportees from ECOWAS nations. This mirrors a similar deal previously made by Ghana. Reports indicate that deportees sent to Ghana and Equatorial Guinea were sometimes forced to return to their home countries. This happened despite having court-ordered protection in the U.S. These protections were meant to prevent such scenarios. It remains unclear if the deportees sent to Sierra Leone will be allowed to remain there permanently.
Minister Kabba stated the agreement is part of Sierra Leone’s bilateral relationship with the U.S. He said it helps assist with U.S. immigration policy. He did not specify what Sierra Leone would receive in return. A report in February by Senate Democrats suggested significant costs. More than $32 million was sent directly to five countries for third-country removals. These countries included Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, El Salvador, Eswatini, and Palau.
This is not the first time the U.S. and Sierra Leone have clashed over deportations. In 2017, the U.S. Embassy in Freetown threatened visa denials. This was aimed at Sierra Leonean foreign ministry and immigration officials. The U.S. took this action because the government refused to accept deportees from the U.S. The White House and State Department maintain these deportations are lawful. The number of affected individuals is expected to be in the hundreds annually under this new agreement.