Ghana did not demand any money for ECOWAS deportees - Ablakwa tells Parliament

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has told Parliament that Ghana has not asked the United States for any money or material support in connection with Ghana’s decision to receive some third-party deportees.

Ablakwa explained that Ghana agreed to accept the West African nationals purely for humanitarian and Pan-African reasons.

“We are Pan-Africanists and these are our fellow West Africans who are in distress, being detained and treated shabbily without dignity, and we cannot look on as Kwame Nkrumah’s Ghana,” he said.

Addressing the House on November 19, 2025, during questions on the US immigration policy towards Ghana, he added: “We are saying that Ghana is your home and you can come here.

“In any case, under the ECOWAS protocols, West African nationals do not need visas to travel, and in the spirit of regional integration, they can enter Ghana without visas and stay here for at least 90 days. So, Mr Speaker, this decision we made was purely on humanitarian grounds and Pan-African grounds, and we did not ask for a cent from Trump’s America,” he stressed.

He gave the clarification when responding to a question from the Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor, who wanted to know what Ghana gained from the MoU with the US and what assessments were done to ensure the deportees posed no threat to the country.

Ablakwa said the ministry operates within Ghana’s laws and coordinates with all relevant state agencies when dealing with people of special status. He noted that the ministry never acts alone in such cases.

He said instructions are taken from the President and Cabinet, and the ministry works closely with national security and immigration institutions.

Communication on such individuals comes through formal diplomatic channels and is verified before any action is taken.

Once information is received, he said, it is immediately forwarded to the Ministry of the Interior, the National Security Council Secretariat, and the Ghana Immigration Service for background checks and threat assessments.

“Mr Speaker, I wish to assure this House that in all matters involving the admission of persons under special circumstances, the requisite security assessments and inter-agency clearances are undertaken by competent authorities.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs proceeds only on the express directives of the President, the collective advice of these agencies, and in full compliance with the procedures governing such engagements,” he said.

Ablakwa reminded Parliament that Ghana has a history of offering refuge on humanitarian grounds. He pointed to Ghana’s admission of refugees from Liberia, Sierra Leone, Lebanon, Côte d’Ivoire and others over the years, as well as special cases like the two former Guantanamo Bay detainees resettled in Ghana under an international agreement.

In all these cases, he said, the government has always enforced strict security checks, strong inter-agency coordination, and continuous monitoring to keep the country safe.

“Ghana has over the decades maintained our enviable track record as a bastion of peace and stability despite our friendly and humanitarian posture, which is a vindication of the thorough background checks, security assessments, and safety protocols we have enforced over the years.

“The ministry continues to work closely with the relevant national security and immigration agencies to ensure that all individuals admitted under such arrangements are handled in strict accordance with established procedures and that Ghana’s security and public safety are upheld at all times,” he added.

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AK/BAI