Sierra Leone has become the latest African nation to receive deportees from the United States as President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement campaign continues to expand, with a first batch of nine migrants landing at Freetown International Airport on Wednesday.Witnessed by an AFP journalist, a plane carrying the migrants touched down outside the capital in the morning.Foreign Minister Timothy Musa Kabba initially stated that 25 people would arrive, but later confirmed: “We have received nine deportees this morning from the US.”
According to authorities, the deportees come from Nigeria, Ghana, Guinea, and Senegal. Among them were seven men and two women, heads bowed as they boarded a minibus under police escort.
Traumatised due to months in chainsHealth ministry official Doris Bah described the group’s condition: “All were traumatised due to the months in chains during detention in the US.” She added that most wished to return to their home countries.“Some of the deportees were arrested on the streets and their place of work, while another was arrested while playing football in the US,” Bah said.The migrants will be housed in a hotel and are expected to be sent back to their respective nations within two weeks at the latest.Sierra Leone to accept up to 300 per yearFreetown has agreed to take in up to 300 people annually expelled by the United States, but only nationals from ECOWAS member states.Some of the deportees hold Sierra Leonean residence permits obtained years ago, Kabba noted, adding that they have the right to stay in the country for 90 days before returning to their country of origin.A foreign ministry document seen by AFP shows the United States is providing $1.5 million to support the programme, covering “humanitarian and operational costs linked to this agreement.”Freetown has not disclosed whether other concessions were made.‘Top priority’ for WashingtonA US State Department spokesperson said Wednesday that removing migrants from US territory is a “top priority” but did not explain why Sierra Leone was chosen or what incentives were offered.Sierra Leone joins a growing list of African countries accepting US deportees, including Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Ghana, Rwanda, and South Sudan.In return, Washington provides financial and logistical support. Some nations, such as the DRC, have even taken in migrants from Latin America.Human Rights Watch condemns ‘opaque deals’In September, Human Rights Watch urged African nations to reject such arrangements, arguing that the “opaque deals” were “part of a US policy approach that violated international human rights law.”
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