Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has confirmed that 188 Ghanaian nationals have been formally notified by US authorities as being on the deportation list amid an intensified immigration enforcement campaign by the Trump administration.
Ablakwa stated that Ghana’s embassies in New York and Washington, D.C., are collaborating closely with U.S. immigration agencies to secure travel documents and facilitate the timely, dignified return of affected citizens.
Addressing the media press conference on Thursday, June 26, 2025, he said Ghana has been officially informed of the deportation and is collaborating closely with U.S. authorities to guarantee a humane and successful repatriation process.
“We have so far been formally notified of 188 Ghanaians on President Trump’s deportation list. Our embassies in New York and Washington are cooperating with U.S. counterparts, and travel certificates are being promptly issued,” Ablakwa stated.
He indicated that Ghana, in cooperation with the Ghana Immigration Service and the Ministry of the Interior, will welcome all returnees with dignity and has initiated a thorough reintegration strategy.
“We will be at the airport to welcome our compatriots and ensure they are properly integrated.
“This will be done discreetly to protect their dignity, especially since many are returning under distressing circumstances—some without personal belongings or savings,” Ablakwa said.
Across the past year, Ghanaian authorities have maintained ongoing communication with the U.S. regarding deportations.
In March, Ablakwa revealed that 150 Ghanaians were in U.S. detention, with 50 already issued final deportation orders expected to be executed by mid-2025.
As early as January, he had clarified that 156 nationals, rather than inflated figures like 6,200, were at risk of deportation—many of whom were facing expedited removal.
In one noted instance, three of those ordered deported were scheduled to depart on commercial flights in March and April, following embassy verifications.
Earlier, the State Department of the United States of America (US) had outlined dozens of reasons it is considering new visa restrictions on 36 countries, including Ghana.
In an internal diplomatic cable signed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Department outlined a dozen concerns about the countries in question and sought corrective action.
Ghana among nations facing possible visa suspension
Countries that could face a full or partial visa ban if they do not address these concerns within the next 60 days include Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Ethiopia, Egypt, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, South Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
