Ghana Deports US-Returned West Africans Amid Torture Concerns
Eleven West African nationals who were deported from the United States to Ghana have been sent back to their respective countries, raising concerns over possible torture, persecution, and inhumane treatment.
The individuals, who arrived in Ghana alongside three other deportees, had filed a lawsuit seeking to halt their removal. However, at a virtual hearing on Tuesday, their lawyer, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, informed the court that his clients had already been deported over the weekend, rendering the case irrelevant.
“This is precisely the injury we were trying to prevent,” Barker-Vormawor told the court, stressing the risks his clients now face.
The suit had argued that at least eight of the deportees had previously been granted protection by US immigration judges against deportation to their home countries due to safety threats.
Among those returned were four Nigerians, three Togolese, two Malians, one Liberian, and one Gambian. Six of them have reportedly been sent to Togo, while the whereabouts of the remaining five remain unknown, according to their lawyer.
Earlier this month, Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama confirmed that his government had agreed to accept nationals from other West African countries deported from the US under President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Ghana’s government defended its decision, insisting it was motivated purely by humanitarian considerations rather than support for US migration policies. Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa clarified at a press briefing in Accra on Monday that Ghana received no financial compensation from Washington.
“We should rather be seen as a country that looks out for fellow Africans. That is why we made it clear to the Americans that we would not accept $1,” Ablakwa said.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s government expressed displeasure, stating it was not informed in advance that its nationals were rerouted through Ghana, noting that in the past, Nigerians had been deported directly from the US.
