Ghana has emerged as the latest African nation to accept third-country immigrants deported by the United States, a policy stirring deep controversy. Authorities in Accra confirmed they received 14 migrants last week—13 Nigerians and one Gambian—none of whom had ties to Ghana itself.
Officials said the deportees were later sent on to their home countries, defending the decision on humanitarian grounds despite legal challenges from the migrants’ lawyers. Court filings revealed the deportees were roused at night on September 5, placed aboard a U.S. military cargo plane, and flown without clear explanation.
Lawyers argue this secrecy, combined with prior legal orders blocking some removals, amounted to violations of international human rights law. Ghana’s Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said the country accepted the migrants out of solidarity, calling it a “Pan-African duty” to ease suffering among West Africans when other states refused.
Nigeria, however, expressed dismay at being left uninformed, stressing it only rejects deportations involving nationals from other countries. The U.S. has arranged similar deportation deals with African and Latin American states, including Rwanda, South Sudan, and Paraguay, often drawing criticism from rights groups.
Experts suggest some governments may comply to curry favour with Washington on trade and aid. Lawyers representing the deportees described their journey as degrading, alleging shackling and “abysmal” conditions during transfer.
Ghanaian officials denied mistreatment claims, saying they had no role in the U.S.-controlled flights. Human rights advocates warn the program risks returning vulnerable migrants to danger, highlighting a pattern of indifference to asylum protections.
Critics argue it undermines international commitments, painting a grim picture of lives uprooted and discarded in pursuit of political expediency.