The United States has sanctioned Ghana over claims the West African nation is refusing to accept Ghanaians deported by the U.S.

CNN reports the sanctions will be restricted to travel for now. On Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department issued a statement announcing U.S. consulates in Ghana have been ordered to issue fewer visas.

“The government of Ghana has denied or unreasonably delayed accepting their nationals ordered removed from the United States,” the statement reads. “As a result, Secretary of State Pompeo has ordered consular officers in Ghana to implement visa restrictions on certain categories of visa applicants.”

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen echoed that sentiment.

"The United States routinely cooperates with foreign governments in documenting and accepting U.S. citizens when asked, as appropriate, as do the majority of countries in the world, but Ghana has failed to do so in this case," Nielsen said.

The State Department's statement adds these initial sanctions will be targeted, but the “scope of the sanctions may be expanded to a wider population.”

According to Citi News Room, the visa ban will apply to non-immigrant visas (like student or tourist visas). Ghanaian government employees and their families will still be eligible for non-immigrant visas, but any approved visa will be good for only a month and only one entry (versus the multi-year, multiple entry visas currently available).

CNN notes the number of Ghanaians the U.S. government wants to deport is on the decline. In 2017, approximately 307 Ghanaians were slated for deportation, and just last year only 243 were listed. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement reports the number of deportees refused by Ghana is much lower than other countries sanctioned for the same infraction.

Sarah Pierce, an analyst with the Migration Policy Institute, writes sanctions for refusing deported nationals are on the rise in the Trump administration. She notes that before President Trump the U.S. had sanctioned only two countries over repatriation conflicts; now seven are under sanctions.

This admin has been THE most active on recalcitrant countries. Ever.

They just imposed visa sanctions on Ghana https://t.co/qr9gl4ZxEq

That's now a total of 7 countries under sanctions for failing to accept US deportees

Before this, only 2 countries had EVER shared that fate

— Sarah Pierce (@SarahPierceEsq) February 1, 2019

The Ghanaian government has yet to respond to the sanctions, but Quartz reports Ghanaian officials have complained in the past U.S. officials often fail to submit the documents and verification Ghana asks for when reviewing a deportation case.

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