Nigerian Man Challenges Ghana’s Acceptance of US Deportees, Questions US Visa Restriction Reversal
- A Nigerian man criticised Ghana’s decision to accept deported West Africans from the United States under a visa deal
- President John Mahama confirmed Ghana agreed to host deportees, with 14 already arriving, without limits on future numbers
- The critic warned Ghana risked becoming a dumping ground for criminals, accusing the country's leadership of prioritising visas over security
A Nigerian man is trending after criticising the Ghanaian government’s decision to accept West African deportees from the United States.
In a now-viral video on TikTok, the young man known as Godwin, who appeared displeased, raised concerns about potential future issues arising from Ghana’s decision to accept US deportees.
Source: UGC
With this, he took a dig at Ghana’s President, John Mahama, claiming that the country may no longer be able to turn away hardened criminals who may be deported to Ghana in the near future.
He also wondered why Ghanaians were rejoicing over the United States officially lifting visa restrictions on Ghana in late September 2025, adding that the Nigerian government deserved commendation for not accepting any agreement from US authorities to take deportees.
“This agreement could set a troubling precedent. By accepting deported individuals, some of whom may be involved in serious crimes .Ghana risks becoming a dumping ground for more dangerous criminals in the future.When the consequences of this decision manifest and more hardened criminals are sent to Ghana, Ghanaians should not blame Nigeria or any other country for the resulting problems.”
Details of the US deportees in Ghana
In early September 2025, news emerged that Ghana had agreed to accept deported West African nationals from the United States, with the first group of 14 individuals already arriving in the nation.
President John Dramani Mahama emphasised that there was no predetermined limit on the number of deportees, noting that fellow West Africans can enter Ghana without a visa.
Source: UGC
U.S. visa reversal applies only to new applications
Speaking to YEN.com.gh, an immigration lawyer in the U.S., Rhoda Frimpong, explained that Ghanaians issued a three-month, single-entry visa before the announcement would not be upgraded to a longer, multiple-entry one automatically, despite the reversal of visa restrictions on Ghana.
She clarified that the reversed U.S. visa restriction only applies to new applications, hence Ghanaians with existing three-month U.S. visas must reapply despite the policy reversal.
“No, the reversal of the U.S. visa restrictions does not mean that previously issued three-month, single-entry visas will be automatically upgraded. The change is not retroactive; it applies only to new visa applications submitted after the restrictions were lifted. Ghanaians currently holding three-month, single-entry visas would still need to apply for a renewal once their visa is used to enter and they depart the United States, or if it expires unused.
Upon renewal, however, they would now be eligible for the restored validity periods up to five years for B1/B2 visitor visas and up to 48 months for F-1 international student visas. Multiple-entry visas are once again available under these categories. While this means applicants would need to reapply and pay the visa fee again, the significant benefit is that, if granted, the longer-validity multiple-entry visas reduce the need for frequent reapplication and the associated costs”, lawyer Rhoda Frimpong told YEN.com.gh.
Watch the video of his warning to Ghanaians below:
Reactions to the Ghana-US deportees deal
YEN.com.gh collected reactions from netizens who watched the Nigerian man’s video on TikTok. Some of the comments are below.
DC Aguero said:
"I’m a Ghanaian, but I’m really proud of Tinubu as the president of Nigeria. May he rule for the next 15 years."
Yakkamagtey wrote:
"Do you know what? Ghana is capable of tackling anything. As Nigeria didn't accept them, does it stop criminality in Nigeria?"
Richfamilytv commented:
"Ghana is not known for crime. If the Ghana police target you, they will find you. That's why the president was confident to receive them."
Adelekejulius wrote:
"They even gave them a five-year visa, but gave Nigeria three months."
Prophet Telvin Sowah’s US visa prophecy fulfilled
YEN.com.gh had earlier reported that a prophecy shared by Prophet Telvin Adjei Sowah concerning the recent visa restrictions the United States government placed on Ghana has come to pass.
However, days after the policy was announced, Ghanaian prophet Telvin Adjei Sowah stated that the policy would be short-lived.
According to him, he had seen a vision that President Donald Trump would reverse the decision, specifically for Ghana and a few other countries.
Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
