At least six West African nationals deported from the US to Ghana have been transferred to Togo, despite an ongoing legal battle to prevent their further deportation.
The group, comprising nationals from Nigeria, Togo, Liberia, and The Gambia, was initially detained in a US facility before being deported to Ghana on a US military plane.
Their lawyer, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, confirmed that the six individuals were sent to Togo, while the whereabouts of the remaining five remain unknown.
The deportations are part of the US government’s hard-line approach to immigration, with President Donald Trump vowing to conduct record-level deportations of migrants in the country illegally.
Ghana’s government had agreed to accept West African nationals deported from the US, citing the free movement of people in West Africa as the reason.
However, opposition MPs are demanding full transparency and accountability regarding the arrangement, calling for the immediate suspension of the US-Ghana agreement until it’s ratified by law.
The deportees’ lawyers have withdrawn their case against the Ghana government, as it has been overtaken by events, but are still pursuing a separate case arguing that their rights have been violated. Concerns have been raised over the safety of the deportees, with some potentially facing persecution in their home countries.
Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, stated that the country is not receiving any financial compensation for taking in the deportees and that 40 more are expected to arrive in the coming days.
