On December 16, the first plane carrying nine migrants from West African countries landed in Sierra Leone, marking the latest African nation to receive deportees as part of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.
According to a statement from Sierra Leone's Ministry of Internal Affairs, those arriving at the airport near the capital Freetown on Wednesday included five from Ghana, two from Guinea, one from Senegal, and one from Nigeria.
Doris Bah, a Health Ministry official at the scene, said all were "traumatized psychologically due to months of detention in chains while being held in the U.S." She added that most wanted to return to their home countries.
"Some of the deportees were arrested on the streets and at work, while another was arrested while playing soccer in the U.S.," Bah said.
She added that the individuals would be placed at a hotel and expected to return to their countries within two weeks.
Foreign Minister Timothy Musa Kabba told the media that the government agreed to accommodate the migrants for about 90 days before they continue their journey home. The agreement is supported by a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. government "to cover humanitarian and operational expenses related to this agreement."
The U.S. has signed similar third-country deportation agreements with at least eight other African nations, many of which are among those hardest hit by the Trump administration's restrictive trade, aid, and immigration policies. Known African countries that have signed include the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, South Sudan, Rwanda, Uganda, Eswatini, Ghana, and Cameroon.
Freetown did not disclose whether any other concessions were agreed upon.
Human Rights Watch in September urged African nations to reject these agreements, calling them "opaque deals" and "part of a U.S. policy approach that violates international human rights law."
