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At least six of the 11 West African migrants recently deported to Ghana under a U.S. immigration crackdown have been transferred to Togo, according to their legal representatives. The group had been seeking an injunction to prevent further deportations, citing concerns for their safety and legal rights.
“We can confirm that six were sent to Togo. The others have been sent to countries which I can’t disclose at this point,” lead lawyer Oliver Barker-Vormawor told the BBC.
Only three of the six sent to Togo are reportedly Togolese nationals. The identities and nationalities of the others remain undisclosed. Neither the Ghanaian nor Togolese governments have commented publicly on the matter.
Legal Challenge Withdrawn, Rights Case Continues
The group’s legal team has withdrawn their initial suit against the Ghanaian government, saying it had been overtaken by events. However, they are continuing to pursue a separate human rights case, arguing that the deportees were unlawfully detained and denied due process.
Last week, Mr. Barker-Vormawor raised concerns over the detention of the migrants in a military facility, stating that none of them had committed crimes under Ghanaian law.
“They were brought in shackles on a U.S. military plane and held without charge. This violates their fundamental rights,” he said.
Background: The U.S.-Ghana Deportation Agreement
The migrants – believed to be from Nigeria, Togo, Liberia, The Gambia, and other West African nations – were deported from a U.S. detention center under an agreement between the U.S. and Ghana’s government.
President John Dramani Mahama announced the agreement earlier this month, saying the U.S. had approached Ghana due to the free movement protocol within ECOWAS, which allows citizens of member states to travel and reside across the region.
However, the agreement has sparked backlash. Opposition MPs are demanding the immediate suspension of the deal until it is ratified by Parliament. They are also calling for full transparency regarding the terms of the arrangement.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa confirmed that Ghana would not receive any financial compensation in return for accepting the deportees. He also disclosed that an additional 40 individuals are expected to be flown into Ghana in the coming days.
U.S. Policy Under Scrutiny
The deportations are part of a broader, hardline immigration policy by the U.S. government under President Donald Trump, who has pledged to carry out record numbers of removals, including sending individuals to countries with which they have little or no connection.
Human rights advocates warn that the practice of deporting migrants to third countries without proper documentation or legal safeguards violates international norms and puts vulnerable individuals at risk.
