Sierra Leone has become the latest African country to receive migrants deported from the United States as part of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
A plane carrying nine West African migrants arrived on Wednesday morning at the international airport near Freetown, according to reports.
Confirming the development, Sierra Leone’s Foreign Minister, Timothy Musa Kabba, said the country received nine deportees from the United States, although earlier reports had indicated that 25 migrants were expected.
Authorities disclosed that the deportees are nationals of Nigeria, Ghana, Guinea and Senegal.
Security personnel, health workers and government officials were present at the airport to receive them.
Seven men and two women were later escorted into a waiting minibus under police supervision.
A health ministry official, Doris Bah, said the deportees appeared traumatised after spending several months in detention in the United States.
According to her, most of them expressed a desire to return to their respective home countries.
Bah explained that some of the migrants were arrested while at work, on the streets or even while playing football in the US.
The deportees are expected to stay temporarily in a hotel before returning to their countries within two weeks.
Meanwhile, the Sierra Leonean government has agreed to receive up to 300 deportees annually from the United States, provided they are citizens of ECOWAS member states.
Foreign Minister Kabba said the decision was based on regional ties, noting that some of the deportees previously held Sierra Leonean residence permits.
He explained that the migrants would be allowed to stay in the country for 90 days before arrangements are made for their return to their home nations.
Reports indicate that the United States is providing about $1.5 million in support of the programme to cover humanitarian and operational expenses linked to the agreement.
However, authorities in Freetown have not disclosed whether additional concessions were made as part of the arrangement.
Reacting to the development, a spokesperson for the US State Department said deportation of undocumented migrants remains a top priority for Washington but did not explain why Sierra Leone was selected for the programme.
Sierra Leone now joins countries such as Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Ghana, Rwanda and South Sudan in accepting migrants deported from the United States.
In some cases, countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo have also received deportees from outside Africa, including Latin America.
Human Rights Watch had earlier criticised the deportation arrangements, describing them as “opaque deals” that allegedly violate international human rights law.