Ghana hits back at Israel with reciprocal deportations

Ghana has expelled three Israeli citizens after accusing Israeli authorities of mistreating and wrongfully deporting several Ghanaians who arrived in Tel Aviv last week.

The move is Ghana’s way of signalling that it will not tolerate what it sees as unfair treatment of its nationals abroad.

In a statement issued on 10 December, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the three Ghanaians were removed from Israel “without justification” and in conditions the ministry described as unacceptable.

In response, officials in Accra ordered three recently arrived Israelis to be put on flights out of the country.

Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister shared the announcement online, saying the government had been “compelled” to act after what happened at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport.

He added that both sides are now working to settle the issue diplomatically.

The ministry also confirmed that Israel’s chargé d’affaires in Accra was summoned for discussions, as the Israeli ambassador was out of the country at the time.

Ghana stressed that while relations with Israel remain important, visitors from friendly nations must be treated with the same respect Ghana expects for its own citizens abroad.

The incident that sparked the retaliation took place on 7 December, when a group of Ghanaians travelling to Israel, including four members of a parliamentary delegation heading to a cybersecurity conference, were detained on arrival. Three of them were later denied entry and placed on return flights.

Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Ministry earlier criticised Israel’s handling of the travellers, calling it “traumatic” and suggesting the passengers had been singled out.

By deporting the three Israelis, Ghana is sending a clear message: any action seen as disrespectful toward its citizens will be met with a firm response. The episode now poses a fresh challenge for relations between the two countries as both governments try to ease tensions.