Africans Deported by US to Ghana at Risk if Sent Home, Lawyer Argues
Accra ,Ghana - The lawyer for 11 West Africans deported from the United States to Ghana has filed a lawsuit seeking to block their potential deportation to their home countries, citing risks of torture and persecution. The deportees, nationals of Nigeria, Liberia, Togo, Gambia, and Mali, were part of a scheme agreed upon by the Ghanaian government and the Trump administration to accept West African nationals expelled from the US.
According to the lawsuit, US immigration judges had previously granted protection to at least eight of the deportees from removal to their home countries due to the risk of torture, persecution, or inhumane treatment. The lawyer, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, argues that sending them back to their home countries would put them in harm's way.
The deportees are currently being held in two separate facilities in Ghana. Five of them are believed to be in a military facility, while six others are in a different location. The Ghanaian government has not provided clear information about the status of the deportees or how many remain in the country.
Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, explained that the government's decision to accept the deportees was based on humanitarian grounds, as they risked being sent to unsafe countries. He emphasized that this decision does not imply endorsement of the Trump administration's immigration policies. Ablakwa also mentioned that another 40 deportees could arrive in Ghana in the coming days.
A US federal judge criticized the deportations, stating that they appeared to be an attempt to bypass US immigration courts. However, the judge ultimately ruled that she lacked jurisdiction to intervene in the case.
The lawsuit filed by Barker-Vormawor asks the High Court in Accra to block any attempts to deport the individuals to their home countries. The court is expected to rule on whether to grant the injunction, which would determine the fate of the deportees.
Human rights advocates are closely monitoring the case, viewing it as a potential test of Ghana's commitment to upholding human rights in deportation matters. If the injunction is granted, it could set a precedent requiring authorities to conduct more thorough reviews before enforcing removals.
Source – Lead News Online/Leticia Okpoti
