US imposes visa restrictions on Ghana over deportees US imposes visa restrictions on Ghana, saying it doesn't cooperate in taking back deportees

JOHANNESBURG -- The United States says it has imposed visa restrictions on Ghana, saying the West African nation is not cooperating in taking back its deported nationals.

A Department of Homeland Security statement says Ghana "has denied or unreasonably delayed accepting their nationals ordered removed from the United States."

The statement issued Thursday says Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has ordered consular officials to impose visa restrictions on some categories of visa applicants and "without an appropriate response from Ghana, the scope of these sanctions may be expanded to a wider population."

The U.S. does not say how many deported Ghanaians are involved, but some local media in Ghana last year noted some 7,000 people.