A charter flight carrying West African nationals deported from the United States landed in Freetown, Sierra Leone, marking the entry into force of a new and controversial migration agreement between the two countries.
Nine migrants—seven men and two women from the ECOWAS region, including Ghana, Guinea, Senegal, and Nigeria—arrived at Freetown International Airport after a US court intervention reduced the number initially planned for deportation.
Under the ‘National Third Country Agreement,’ Sierra Leone has committed to receiving up to 300 non-citizen deportees annually, with a limit of 25 per month, as part of a broader US migration management strategy. The agreement is supported by a $1.5 million grant from the US State Department to provide logistical support and temporary accommodation.
Foreign Minister Timothy Kabba defended the agreement as a structured diplomatic and security alliance with Washington, stating that it is designed to manage migration flows while ensuring basic care and orderly processing of arrivals.
This policy has drawn criticism from human rights groups, who argue that relocating ECOWAS citizens to countries where they have no legal, cultural, or family ties raises concerns about protection, legal rights, and long-term resettlement.