A Member of Parliament from the opposition All People’s Congress (APC) has called on the Government of Sierra Leone to urgently present before Parliament the details of a reported deportation agreement signed with the United States.
Hon. Aaron Aruna Koroma, MP for Tonkolili District, raised the issue during a parliamentary sitting, warning that lawmakers had yet to receive any formal documentation relating to the arrangement despite reports that the first group of deportees was expected in Freetown within days.
According to Hon. Koroma, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation had informed Parliament about an agreement connected to deportations being carried out under the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
He stressed that Parliament was not opposed to legitimate international agreements, but argued that any deal with major national implications should be subjected to legislative scrutiny and approval before implementation.
“Today there has not been any agreement brought to this House for attention,” the APC lawmaker told Parliament, describing the matter as one of national importance that required urgent oversight.
Hon. Koroma further appealed to the Speaker of Parliament to compel the Foreign Affairs Minister to formally table the alleged agreement before Members of Parliament.
The concerns come amid growing public debate over Sierra Leone’s reported acceptance of deportees from other West African countries under what government officials described as a “Third Country National Agreement” with the United States.
Under the reported arrangement, Sierra Leone is expected to receive up to 300 deportees annually, with arrivals capped at 25 persons per month. The first group, consisting of migrants from Senegal, Ghana, Guinea and Nigeria, was scheduled to arrive in Freetown on May 20, 2026.
Government officials say the agreement is backed by a US$1.5 million support package from Washington to assist with reception, temporary accommodation, humanitarian support and logistical coordination for deportees.
Authorities have also maintained that Sierra Leone would serve only as a temporary host country and not a permanent resettlement destination.
The agreement is understood to form part of broader U.S. deportation measures aimed at relocating migrants to third countries when direct repatriation to their countries of origin becomes difficult.
The issue has, however, sparked criticism from legal analysts and human rights advocates, who have questioned both the legality of third-country deportation arrangements and the welfare of migrants transferred to countries where they hold no citizenship ties.
The controversy also follows earlier U.S. visa restrictions imposed on Sierra Leone in 2026 over what Washington described as insufficient cooperation on deportation matters.
