A group of West Africans deported from the United States has filed a lawsuit against the Ghanaian government, alleging they were forcibly transferred to the country despite holding protection orders from US immigration authorities.
The case, lodged in a Ghanaian court, involves 11 people from Nigeria, Togo, Gambia, Liberia, and Mali. According to the plaintiffs, they have been detained since their arrival without charges and with little or no access to legal representation.
This development follows President John Mahama’s recent confirmation that his government reached an agreement with Washington to accept deportees from across West Africa, as then-US President Donald Trump intensified expulsions. Reports suggest the Trump administration expanded the practice of relocating deportees to third countries, with hundreds allegedly sent to a prison in El Salvador.
The deportations to Ghana are believed to have begun in early September, though officials have provided few details, including where the deportees are being held. The group is thought to be in custody at a military facility.
“They are not charged with any violations of Ghanaian law,” said their lawyer, Oliver Barker-Vormawor. “All of these people were asylum seekers in the US, and they’ve clearly indicated they faced persecution — whether religious, political, or based on sexual orientation.”
Authorities initially stated that 14 deportees had arrived and would be allowed either to remain temporarily in Ghana under regional visa-free travel rules or return to their home countries. While officials claimed all had left, Barker-Vormawor said only three returned, leaving 11 still in detention.
The group includes four Nigerians, three Togolese, two Malians, one Liberian, and one Gambian. Barker-Vormawor noted that he has requested access to his clients at the military facility but has not received approval.
Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa confirmed that 40 additional deportees are expected in the coming days, stressing that Ghana’s decision was motivated by “humanitarian concerns” rather than an endorsement of US immigration policy.
The attorney general’s office has not yet commented on the lawsuit. Barker-Vormawor added that more deportees had arrived last Thursday, though the timeline of transfers remains unclear.
