Sierra Leone Accepts US Deportees

Sierra Leone has entered into a 'Third Country National Agreement' with the United States to accept hundreds of West African migrants being deported by the United States. The agreement, announced by Sierra Leone's foreign minister Timothy Kabba, stipulates that Sierra Leone will take in 300 citizens from the ECOWAS per year, with a maximum of 25 per month. The first flight, carrying 25 nationals from Senegal, Ghana, Guinea, and Nigeria, is scheduled to arrive on May 20. This deal is part of the Trump administration's efforts to accelerate removals and follows previous arrangements with other African nations like Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and Eswatini. The policy has drawn criticism from legal experts and rights groups regarding its legal basis and the treatment of deportees, some of whom have reportedly been forced to return to their home countries despite receiving court-ordered protection in the United States. The United States has previously provided over $32 million to countries such as Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, El Salvador, Eswatini, and Palau for similar third-country removals. The United States and Sierra Leone have had past disagreements over deportations, with the United States denying visas to Sierra Leonean officials in 2017 due to their refusal to accept Sierra Leonean deportees.