A video has gone viral of Immigration officers forcibly dragging a Sierra Leonean woman who was part of the 20 West African nationals deported from the US.
In the viral video shared on X, immigration officials were seen dragging a woman on the floor out of a hotel in Ogbojo, Accra.
Reports suggest the incident happened at the Vicsem Hotel in Ogbojo, a suburb of Accra.
The US deportees were scheduled to be repatriated to their respective countries.
The Sierra Leonean woman who is alleged to be a registered nurse and who lived in the United States for 35 years.
According to the information gathered, the woman pleaded with officials to remain in Ghana as she claimed to have no relatives in Sierra Leone.
The Immigration officers declined her appeal; however, reports suggest she suffered an asthma attack during the confrontation with the officers.
The US deportees were brought into Ghana as part of an arrangement with the United States.
It will be recalled that President John Mahama, speaking to the media some weeks ago, revealed that some 14 US deportees arrived in Ghana, with several of them being Nigerians and a Gambian.
He cited the regional bloc Ecowas’s free movement protocol that allows citizens of member states to enter other West African countries without a visa for up to 90 days.
John Mahama further revealed that Ghana had already facilitated the return of the Nigerians to their country, while the Gambian was still being assisted.
He stated, “We were approached by the US to accept third-party nationals who were being removed from the US. And we agreed with them that West African nationals were acceptable”.
“The government of Ghana took the principled and humanitarian decision to accept the limited number of West African nationals deported from the United States under exceptional circumstances, in line with Ghana’s long-standing Pan-African ideals and unwavering commitment to regional solidarity,” President Mahama stated.
He added, “Our decision is grounded purely on humanitarian principles and Pan-African solidarity to offer temporary refuge where needed, to prevent further human suffering, and to maintain our credibility as a responsible regional actor. Ghana’s decision must be understood as an act of Pan-African empathy. It is not transactional like Rwanda, Eswatini, Uganda, or South Sudan”.
Mahama, however, clarified that the arrangement should not be seen as an endorsement of President Donald Trump’s new U.S. immigration policies.
Watch the video below: