A group of West Africans recently deported from the United States has sued the Ghanaian government, alleging they were forcibly relocated to the country despite having protection orders from US immigration authorities.
The suit, lodged in a Ghanaian court, was brought on behalf of 11 people from Nigeria, Togo, Gambia, Liberia and Mali. The plaintiffs say they have been detained since arrival without charge and with little or no access to lawyers.
Their case comes after President John Mahama confirmed last week that his government had agreed with Washington to accept deportees from across West Africa, as President Donald Trump ramps up expulsions. The Trump administration has expanded the practice of sending people to third countries, including hundreds reportedly transferred to a prison in El Salvador.
The deportations to Ghana are believed to have begun in early September, though officials have released few details, including the current location of those held. The group is thought to be detained at a military facility.
“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 US, and they’ve made clear they were facing persecution — whether religious, political, or based on sexual orientation.”
Authorities initially announced that 14 deportees had arrived and would be allowed to stay in Ghana temporarily under regional visa-free travel rules or return to their home countries. While officials claimed all had left, Barker-Vormawor said only three returned home, with 11 still in custody.
The group includes four Nigerians, three Togolese, two Malians, one Liberian and one Gambian. Barker-Vormawor said he has written to the military seeking access to his clients but has not been granted permission.
Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has already confirmed that 40 more deportees are expected in the coming days, stressing that Ghana’s decision was based on “humanitarian concerns” and did not amount to an endorsement of US immigration policy.
The attorney general’s office has yet to comment on the case. Barker-Vormawor said additional deportees arrived on Thursday but that the exact timeline of the transfers remains unclear.
