Sierra Leone Accepts First US‑Deportees Under $1.5M Aid Deal

The plane landed Wednesday near Freetown carrying five Ghanaians, two Guineans, one Senegalese and one Nigerian. Officials said the migrants described feeling traumatized after months in chains during US detention and most said they want to return home. The arrivals mark the first time Sierra Leone has accepted deportees under a US‑funded third‑country agreement. The transfer follows President Donald Trump’s broader immigration crackdown, which has increased removals of migrants from Africa. Officials detained some after street arrests, workplace raids or even while playing football.

- Nine West African migrants arrived as the first group that the United States deported to Sierra Leone. - The deportees told officials they felt traumatized after US officials held them in chains for months and most want to go back to their home countries. - Sierra Leone will house the migrants in a hotel for up to 90 days under a deal that the US government financed with a $1.5 million grant. - The grant covers humanitarian and operational costs, including food, medical care and security during the stay.

The arrival shows Sierra Leone’s willingness to cooperate with US immigration enforcement despite concerns about human‑rights impacts. The $1.5 million grant aims to offset short‑term care costs, but analysts question whether the funding will be sufficient for longer‑term needs. Human Rights Watch has warned that such opaque deals may violate international law by shifting responsibility for deportations to poorer nations. At least eight other African countries have signed similar agreements, indicating a pattern of externalizing US removal flows. The US State Department announced the grant as part of its migration partnership fund.