Lawsuit Filed by US Deportees Against Ghana Over Unlawful Detention

Tue Sep 30 2025 03:40:39 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

A group of eleven individuals, recently deported from the United States to Ghana, are suing the Ghanaian government for what they claim is illegal detention at a military facility. Their lawyer asserts they have not violated any local laws, raising significant legal questions about the treatment of deportees.

Eleven deportees from the US are suing the Ghanaian government, alleging that their detention in a military camp is unlawful. This lawsuit comes in light of public dissent regarding the deportation agreements between Ghana and the US, with opposition leaders demanding legislative oversight on the matter. The deportees are claiming their rights have been violated as they maintain they have not broken any Ghanaian laws.

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 wants the government to produce the group in court and justify why they are being held against their will.

The government has not yet commented on the lawsuit but has previously stated that it plans to accept another 40 deportees. Opposition MPs are demanding the immediate suspension of the deportation deal until parliament ratifies it, citing that such approval is necessary under Ghanaian laws.

Last week, Ghana's President John Mahama stated that 14 deportees of West African origin had arrived in the country following an agreement with the US. However, he indicated that all of them had been returned to their countries of origin, a claim contradicted by Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who said only most had been returned.

These conflicting statements have raised concerns, as Vormawor’s court application claims that 11 deportees are still in detention in Ghana. The group was reportedly held in a US detention facility before being deported in a military cargo aircraft.

The deportations are part of the US government's stringent immigration policies, which were notably emphasized during the Trump administration, which aimed for a record high of deportations.

Ghana's foreign minister clarified that the acceptance of deportees was based on humanitarian principles and pan-African empathy, and emphasized that this should not be seen as an endorsement of US immigration policies.

Significantly, five of the detainees, including three Nigerians and two Gambians, have additionally sued the US government, arguing that they were protected by a court order and should not have faced deportation.