The United States has deported another 14 West African nationals to Ghana under a new repatriation accord between Washington and Accra, continuing a Trump administration effort to return foreign nationals who entered the U.S. illegally or committed serious crimes while inside the country.
According to Ghanaian attorney Oliver Barker-Vormawor, who represents several Ghanaian deportees, the group arrived in Accra on Monday, bringing the total number of returns under the agreement to 42 individuals. Barker-Vormawor and his organization, Democracy Hub, filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging the deal, arguing that Ghana’s government approved it without parliamentary consent and that it may breach international conventions against deporting individuals to countries where they could face persecution.
Ghana’s government has stood by the accord. Spokesman Felix Kwakye Ofosu confirmed that the attorney general will defend the legality of the agreement in court but declined further comment.
Democracy Hub has sued Ghana’s government over its agreement to receive US deportees, calling it unconstitutional and risky.
The Attorney-General will defend the state in court. pic.twitter.com/MfmlwdUrI3
— Ghana Crimes Ltd. (@GhanaCrimes) October 16, 2025
U.S. officials describe the deportations as part of a broader network of third-country transfer agreements reached since 2024 with at least five African nations—Ghana, Rwanda, Eswatini, South Sudan, and Uganda—designed to repatriate foreign nationals who have exhausted all legal appeals in the United States. The policy focuses on individuals with criminal convictions or those who cannot be safely or promptly returned to their countries of origin.
U.S. authorities maintain that the program restores accountability to a system long hindered by noncompliance from certain foreign governments. Under the agreements, migrants who enter the U.S. illegally may be deported to participating partner nations willing to temporarily receive them when their home countries refuse repatriation.
Last month, Ghana accepted the first group of 14 deportees from the United States, who were later transferred to their home countries, including Togo, Nigeria, and Mali. Attorneys for the migrants claimed that several were temporarily housed at a military facility outside Accra before onward travel, though local authorities said the conditions met humanitarian standards.
Similar transfers have taken place to Eswatini, Rwanda, and South Sudan, primarily involving individuals convicted of violent crimes such as murder, child rape, and human trafficking. Officials said the continued enforcement reflects the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State’s commitment to uphold immigration law and prioritize the removal of criminal aliens.
