Ghana government faces lawsuit over deal to accept migrant deportees from US

ISTANBUL

A Ghana-based civil society group has filed a lawsuit against the Ghanaian government, saying the country’s acceptance of irregular migrants deported from the US is "unconstitutional," Politico reported on Wednesday.

According to the report, Democracy Hub filed the lawsuit against the Ghana government in the Supreme Court, arguing that the migration agreement between Accra and Washington is unconstitutional because Ghana’s parliament did not ratify it and it may breach international conventions that prohibit returning individuals to countries where they risk persecution.

The group’s lawyer, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, said that with the arrival of 14 new deportees on Monday, the total number of migrants sent from the US to Ghana has reached 42.

Since July, the US has deported several migrants convicted of serious crimes—including murder and child abuse—to African countries such as South Sudan, Rwanda, and Ghana.

Democracy Hub criticized the arrangement as lacking transparency, saying deportees are being sent to third countries where they have no ties and are deprived of their right to due process.

US President Donald Trump is known for his anti-immigration policies, which have focused on tightening border controls, limiting legal immigration, and increasing deportations.

On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order repealing the “diversity, equity, and inclusion” initiatives introduced under his predecessor, Joe Biden. He later announced the termination of the “CBP One” program, which had allowed migrants to apply for legal entry into the US