A group of 14 West Africans who were deported from the United States to Ghana on Monday, marking the latest transfer under an agreement between the two nations, according to Oliver Barker-Vormawor, a lawyer representing the migrants. His organization, Democracy Hub, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday challenging the deal, arguing it is unconstitutional due to lack of Ghanaian parliamentary approval and may violate international conventions against sending individuals to countries where they risk persecution.
This deportation brings the total number of deportees sent to Ghana to 42. Barker-Vormawor claims the agreement lacks transparency and risks denying deportees due process, often sending them to nations with which they have no ties.
The Ghanaian government’s spokesperson, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, stated the attorney general would defend the arrangement in court but offered no further comment.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has intensified efforts to deport migrants who entered the U.S. illegally, particularly those with criminal records, targeting individuals whose home countries complicate repatriation.
Since July, the U.S. has deported dozens of migrants to at least five African nations—Ghana, Eswatini, South Sudan, Rwanda, and Uganda—under secretive third-country deportation agreements.
Critics, including rights groups, argue these deals are opaque and send migrants to countries where they face uncertain fates.
Last month, the U.S. deported an initial group of 14 West Africans to Ghana, who were later said to have been sent to their home countries, including Togo, Nigeria, and Mali.
Since then, 10 have been sent to Togo, though only two are Togolese citizens.
The U.S. began this program by deporting five individuals to Eswatini in July, citing their convictions for serious crimes like murder and child rape.
Source : myxyzonline
