A group of 11 West Africans deported from the United States has filed a lawsuit against the Ghanaian government, alleging they were unlawfully transferred into the country despite holding protection orders from U.S. immigration authorities.
The case, lodged in a Ghanaian court, is being brought on behalf of nationals from Nigeria, Togo, Gambia, Liberia, and Mali. The plaintiffs say they have been detained since arriving in Ghana in early September — without charge and with little or no access to legal representation.
Their challenge comes just days after former President John Mahama confirmed that his government had reached an agreement with Washington to accept deportees from across West Africa, as President Donald Trump escalates expulsions and transfers of asylum seekers to third countries. Hundreds have reportedly been sent to a prison in El Salvador under the policy.
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“They are not charged with violations of any Ghanaian law,” said their lawyer, Oliver Barker-Vormawor. “All of these people were seeking asylum in the U.S., and they’ve made clear they were facing persecution — whether religious, political, or based on sexual orientation.”
Authorities initially said 14 deportees had landed in Accra and would be allowed to either stay temporarily under ECOWAS free-movement protocols or return to their home countries. Officials later announced that all had left Ghana. But Barker-Vormawor disputes that account, insisting that only three returned home, while 11 remain in custody — reportedly at a military facility.
The detainees include four Nigerians, three Togolese, two Malians, one Liberian, and one Gambian. Their lawyer says he has written to the military demanding access to his clients but has received no response.
Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has confirmed that 40 more deportees are expected in the coming days, defending the government’s cooperation with Washington as driven by “humanitarian concerns” rather than an endorsement of U.S. immigration policy.
The attorney general’s office has yet to comment on the lawsuit, while Barker-Vormawor says additional deportees arrived on Thursday, raising further questions about the scope and legality of the transfers.
Source: ameyawdebrah.com/
