Sierra Leone agreed to accept US deportees, later described months in chains
Sierra Leone's government sent a note verbale on November 20, 2025 expressing willingness to accept up to 300 ECOWAS-citizen deportees from the United States per year; a January 2026 exchange of notes finalized the arrangement, adding that neither side intended to transfer people with violent criminal backgrounds. Nine people arrived May 20, 2026 — the first of two flights — and were described by a Sierra Leonean health ministry official as "traumatized due to the months in chains during detention in the US."
