Ghanaian Deportees Challenge Government Over Illegal Detention

Thu Oct 23 2025 01:56:48 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

A group of 11 individuals deported from the US asserts their rights by filing a lawsuit against the Ghanaian government, claiming illegal detention at a military facility.

In a significant legal challenge, eleven deportees from the United States have initiated a lawsuit against the Ghanaian government, alleging their unlawful detention in a military camp after being stripped of their rights. Their attorney argues that they have not breached any local laws, prompting demands for the government to provide justifications for their continued imprisonment. This suit comes amid increasing scrutiny of Ghana's recent agreements with the US to accept deportees, highlighting ongoing concerns surrounding immigration policies and human rights.

Eleven people detained in Ghana after being deported from the US have sued the West African nation's government, their lawyer has told the BBC.

Oliver-Barker Vormawor said the deportees had not violated any Ghanaian law, and their detention in a military camp was therefore illegal.

He wanted the government to produce the group in court, and justify why they were being held against their will, the lawyer added.

The government has not yet commented on the lawsuit, but has previously stated plans to accept another 40 deportees.

Opposition MPs are demanding the immediate suspension of the deportation deal until parliament ratifies it, asserting that this is required under Ghanaian law.

Last week, Ghana's President John Mahama reported that 14 deportees of West African origin had arrived in the country following an agreement with the US.

However, he contradicted himself by claiming all had been returned to their original countries, while Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa stated that only most had been returned.

Mr. Vormawor's court application disputes their claims, stating that 11 deportees are still being unlawfully detained in Ghana.

These individuals were held in a US detention facility before being deported in a military cargo aircraft. The deportations are part of the US government's rigorous strategy toward immigration since President Donald Trump's administration.

Ghana's foreign minister asserted that the decision to accept deportees was based on 'humanitarian principle and pan-African empathy,' distancing Ghana from endorsing the US immigration policies.

Additionally, five of the detainees, consisting of three Nigerians and two Gambians, have filed a suit against the US government, arguing they were protected by a court order and should not have been deported.