Fourteen West African nationals were deported from the United States to Ghana this week under a controversial repatriation agreement between the two countries, according to a lawyer representing the migrants.
Oliver Barker-Vormawor, a lawyer and leader of the advocacy group Democracy Hub, said the new arrivals brought the total number of deportees accepted by Ghana to 42 since the deal took effect.
On Tuesday, Democracy Hub filed a lawsuit against the Ghanaian government, arguing that the deportation pact with the U.S. is unconstitutional because it was never ratified by Parliament. The group also argues the agreement breaches international conventions prohibiting the transfer of individuals to countries where they could face persecution.
Government spokesman Felix Kwakye Ofosu confirmed that the attorney general would defend the deal in court but declined further comment.
The arrangement is part of a wider deportation initiative launched by the Trump administration, which has intensified efforts to remove undocumented migrants, particularly those with criminal convictions or uncertain national status.
Since July, dozens of migrants have been sent to African nations under a set of largely secretive “third-country” agreements that the U.S. has signed with at least five countries.
Human rights organizations have condemned the program, calling it opaque and dangerous. They argue that many deportees are sent to unfamiliar countries where they face uncertain legal status and possible mistreatment.
In September, the U.S. deported an earlier group of 14 migrants to Ghana. Ghanaian authorities later said those individuals were relocated to other West African nations, including Togo, Nigeria and Mali.
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Lawyers representing the group told The Associated Press that 11 of the migrants had been detained at a military facility near Accra under harsh conditions. Barker-Vormawor said 10 of them were eventually deported to Togo, even though only two were Togolese citizens.
The first deportations under the program occurred in July, when five migrants were sent to Eswatini. U.S. officials said they had been convicted of crimes including murder and child rape.
Subsequent deportations have included groups sent to South Sudan, Rwanda and Ghana, with another agreement in place with Uganda, though no transfers there have been confirmed.
According to human rights monitors, six deportees remain in custody in South Sudan, while Rwandan officials have yet to disclose the location of seven others being held.
READ ALSO: Lawyer claims Ghana sent back 11 U.S.-deported migrants despite risk concerns
