Sierra Leone has received its first group of migrants deported from the United States under a new arrangement with Washington aimed at accelerating removals to third countries.
A flight carrying nine West African deportees arrived in Freetown on Wednesday, marking the first transfer under an agreement that will allow Sierra Leone to accept up to 300 deported migrants each year.
According to Sierra Leone’s Foreign Minister Timothy Kabba, the deal provides for no more than 25 arrivals per month. The agreement applies to migrants from West African nations being removed from the United States.
The group that arrived this week included seven men and two women from Ghana, Senegal, Guinea and Nigeria, according to Patrick Robin, head of Kenvah Solutions, the private contractor tasked with accommodating the deportees.
The migrants are being housed in two hotels near Freetown’s international airport. Robin said the facilities would provide accommodation in what he described as a dignified and comfortable environment for up to two weeks. In exceptional cases, stays could be extended to 30 days.
Authorities have not clarified how long deportees will ultimately be permitted to remain in Sierra Leone. A government spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment on the matter.
Robin said that most of the individuals arriving on Wednesday had expressed a desire to return to their home countries. However, a Reuters witness reported that at least one deportee initially appeared reluctant to leave the aircraft before eventually being persuaded to disembark.
The arrangement mirrors a similar agreement reached by Ghana, which also accepts deportees originating from West African countries. Previous reporting by Reuters found that some migrants sent to countries including Ghana, Equatorial Guinea and other destinations in Africa were later compelled to return to their countries of origin despite having received court-ordered protections in the United States intended to prevent such outcomes.
It remains unclear whether Sierra Leone is receiving financial or other compensation in exchange for accepting deportees.
A report published in February by Democrats on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee said the total cost of third-country deportation agreements remains unknown. However, the report stated that more than $32 million had been transferred directly to five countries — Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, El Salvador, Eswatini and Palau — as part of similar arrangements.
The U.S. State Department declined to comment on the Sierra Leone agreement to Reuters.
