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A U.S. senator has questioned Sierra Leone’s compliance with its agreement to receive migrants deported from the United States, citing concerns that some could be returned to countries where they fear persecution.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, raised the issue during a committee hearing on the nomination of career diplomat Daniel Travis to become the next U.S. ambassador to Sierra Leone.
“There is now credible evidence that Sierra Leone is violating this commitment,” Senator Shaheen declared.
Shaheen pointed to media reports alleging that some migrants transferred to Sierra Leone have subsequently been sent to their countries of origin, where they could face persecution.
The concern centres on Sierra Leone’s Third Country National Arrangement with the United States. Under the agreement, Sierra Leone has agreed to temporarily receive certain West African nationals deported from the U.S. before arrangements are made for their onward return or transfer.
Sierra Leone began receiving deportees under the arrangement in May 2026. The first group of nine migrants included nationals of Ghana, Guinea, Senegal and Nigeria, according to The Associated Press. A second group arrived in June.
The program is supported by a $1.5 million U.S. government grant. Sierra Leonean authorities have contracted Kenvah Solutions (SL) Limited to provide services including accommodation, food, health care and other humanitarian support for the deportees while arrangements are made for their onward movement.
The arrangement allows Sierra Leone to receive up to 300 eligible ECOWAS nationals annually, with the program capped at 25 people per month, according to information released about the agreement.
The issue has attracted scrutiny because some of the migrants had previously expressed fears of persecution in their home countries. Lawyers representing deportees have argued that sending them back could expose them to dangers they had sought protection from in the United States.
During the hearing, Travis pledged to press Sierra Leonean authorities to honor the terms of the arrangement if the Senate confirms his nomination.
“I can assure you that if approved, I will advocate that the government of Sierra Leone comply with all of their agreements, including the third-country national arrangement, to the letter.”
Travis, a career member of the U.S. Senior Foreign Service, was nominated to serve as ambassador to Sierra Leone. His nomination remains pending before the Senate.
The senator’s warning places the deportation arrangement among the issues likely to test the incoming ambassador’s engagement with Freetown if Travis is confirmed.
It also adds scrutiny to an agreement that Sierra Leonean officials have described as a temporary and structured humanitarian arrangement intended to facilitate the reception and eventual repatriation of third-country nationals.
The U.S. concerns come as Washington and Freetown continue to manage a broader bilateral relationship that includes development, governance, health and economic cooperation.
