ACCRA, Ghana — Nineteen West African nationals deported from the United States to Ghana have disappeared after being moved under armed guard to undisclosed locations, their lawyer revealed Thursday.
The group arrived in Ghana on November 5 and was initially housed in a hotel. Attorney Ana Dionne-Lanier said part of the group was bused to an unknown border location over the weekend, while others were transferred “under heavy armed guard” on Wednesday. Families have since lost all contact with the deportees, who are protected from repatriation to their home countries due to risks of torture and persecution.
Controversial U.S. Program
The disappearances come amid the expansion of a secretive U.S. deportation program that has sent dozens of migrants to at least five African nations since July, including Eswatini, Rwanda, and South Sudan. Human rights experts have condemned the initiative, warning that deportees may not receive proper screening and that the program violates international protections for asylum-seekers.
Legal Challenges in Ghana
Ghana’s Democracy Hub rights group has filed a lawsuit, arguing the agreement with Washington is unconstitutional because it bypassed parliamentary approval and may breach conventions prohibiting returns to countries where people face persecution.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Justice has argued in federal court that it cannot control how another country treats deportees, despite Ghana’s pledge not to return them to their home countries.
Growing Diplomatic Tensions
The fate of the 19 missing migrants remains unclear, deepening concerns over transparency and accountability in the deportation program. Analysts warn the issue could strain U.S.–Ghana relations and intensify scrutiny of Washington’s broader deportation agreements across Africa.