Sierra Leone has agreed to accept hundreds of West African migrants deported from the United States under a new arrangement aimed at accelerating removals.
Foreign Minister Timothy Kabba said the first group of so-called third-country deportees will arrive on May 20, with 25 individuals from Senegal, Ghana, Guinea and Nigeria.
Under the agreement, Sierra Leone will accept up to 300 migrants annually, with a monthly cap of 25, all from member states of the ECOWAS regional bloc.
The deal mirrors similar arrangements struck between Washington and other African nations, including Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Eswatini.
However, such agreements have drawn criticism from legal experts and human rights groups, who question both the legal basis for third-country deportations and the treatment of migrants sent to countries where they are not nationals.
It remains unclear whether those deported to Sierra Leone will be permitted to stay or will ultimately be returned to their countries of origin. Previous cases in countries such as Ghana and Equatorial Guinea have seen deportees sent onward despite having legal protections in the U.S.
Kabba described the arrangement as part of broader bilateral cooperation with Washington on immigration policy, but did not specify what Sierra Leone would receive in return.
The issue has been a source of tension in the past. In 2017, during Donald Trump’s first administration, the U.S. imposed visa restrictions on Sierra Leonean officials over its refusal to accept deported nationals.
While U.S. authorities maintain the deportations are lawful, the expansion of such agreements across Africa is likely to intensify debate over migration policy and international legal obligations.
