The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has dismissed reports suggesting that Ghana will receive Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national reportedly set for deportation by the United States.
International media outlets on October 10, 2025, claimed that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had notified Garcia’s lawyers of plans to deport him to Ghana after earlier considering Eswatini and Uganda as possible destinations.
However, in a Facebook post, Mr. Ablakwa strongly refuted the claims, describing them as misleading and inaccurate. He clarified that Ghana has not agreed and will not agree to accept Abrego Garcia.
“Ghana is not accepting Abrego Garcia. He cannot be deported to Ghana. This has been directly and unambiguously conveyed to U.S. authorities,” the minister stated.
He explained that Ghana’s existing arrangement with the United States only permits the reception of non-criminal West African nationals, and even that is based purely on African solidarity and humanitarian principles.
“In my interactions with U.S. officials, I made clear that our understanding to accept a limited number of non-criminal West Africans, purely on the grounds of African solidarity and humanitarian principles, would not be expanded,” he emphasized.
Mr. Ablakwa further stated that Ghana has no intention of altering this agreement to include individuals outside the West African subregion or those with criminal backgrounds.
The government has recently come under public scrutiny for accepting some West African nationals deported by the United States, with critics questioning the terms of such arrangements.
The minister’s latest statement appears aimed at setting the record straight and reaffirming Ghana’s firm diplomatic stance on the matter.
