A Ghanaian civil society group, Democracy Hub, has filed a lawsuit before the Supreme Court seeking to overturn the government’s deportation agreement with the United States.
The group’s legal action follows President John Mahama’s recent disclosure that Ghana had entered into a deal with Washington to receive deportees from West Africa as part of U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial deportation programme.
So far, at least 28 individuals have reportedly arrived in Ghana under the arrangement. However, rights advocates allege that some of these deportees have been sent to third countries without proper documentation or legal representation.
In the suit, Democracy Hub contends that President Mahama acted unconstitutionally by implementing the agreement without parliamentary approval or ratification, as required under Ghana’s Constitution. The group is asking the court to declare both the detention and onward transfer of the deportees as unlawful.
The petition further accuses the government of violating the United Nations Convention Against Torture, arguing that deportees are being held in “deplorable, inhumane, and degrading” conditions — some within military custody, despite not being charged with any offence or granted access to legal counsel.
The Supreme Court is expected to begin hearing arguments on October 22 regarding whether the agreement should be suspended pending a final ruling.
Meanwhile, Ghana’s Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa confirmed last week that the government accepted the deportees as part of negotiations with Washington to lift U.S. visa restrictions and reconsider trade tariffs on Ghanaian exports.
“They said, ‘You want the visa restrictions lifted, you want trade deals extended, and you want us to relook at tariffs — then help us handle immigration issues,’” Ablakwa explained during an interview with TV3 Ghana.
The case is poised to test the limits of executive authority in international agreements and could have far-reaching implications for Ghana’s human rights obligations and foreign policy.
