Eleven African nationals deported from the United States have filed a lawsuit against the Government of Ghana, challenging their detention in a military facility after their arrival in Accra.
Their lawyer, Oliver-Barker Vormawor, told the BBC that the deportees had not violated any Ghanaian law, making their continued detention unlawful. “We are asking the government to produce the group before the court and justify why they are being held against their will,” he said.
Court documents state that the individuals were first detained in a U.S. facility before being shackled and transported aboard a military cargo aircraft to Ghana. Upon arrival, they were placed in custody at a military camp where they remain, according to the filing.
The Ghanaian government has not yet responded to the lawsuit. However, officials have previously confirmed plans to receive an additional 40 deportees under an arrangement with the United States.
President John Mahama had announced last week that 14 West Africans were returned to Ghana under the deal and subsequently sent back to their respective countries of origin. His statement was contradicted by Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who clarified that “most” but not all had been repatriated.
Mr. Vormawor’s application disputes both claims, insisting that 11 of the deportees are still being held in Ghana.
Opposition Members of Parliament have criticised the government for failing to present the deportation agreement to parliament for ratification, arguing that the deal is invalid until lawmakers approve it. They have demanded its immediate suspension.
The deportations are part of U.S. President Donald Trump’s intensified immigration crackdown since taking office in January, with pledges of record-level removals of migrants residing illegally. Ghana’s foreign minister told Reuters on Monday that the decision to receive the deportees was guided by “humanitarian principle and pan-African empathy,” stressing, “It should not be mistaken as endorsement of the immigration policies of the Trump administration.”
In addition to the Ghanaian suit, five of the deportees—three Nigerians and two Gambians—have also filed a case against the U.S. government, claiming they were protected by a court order and should not have been deported.
