Double Jeopardy: West Africans Deported by US to Ghana Face Second Expulsion, Lawyer Reveals

A harrowing situation has come to light involving West African migrants, initially deported by the United States to Ghana, only to face a second, immediate expulsion by Ghanaian authorities. This alarming development was confirmed by Kourosh Kenneth Hamidi, a prominent US immigration lawyer, who revealed that at least 15 such individuals were deported from Ghana to various West African countries, including Mali, Niger, and Mauritania, within days of their arrival from the US.

The individuals, whose original countries of origin differ, found themselves in a precarious legal limbo.

Despite initial reports suggesting these deportations from Ghana were temporary, Hamidi emphasized that these were definitive expulsions. He stated, “They were definitely deported. They were given, as a condition of their release from detention, a ticket to Mali, Niger or Mauritania.” This revelation underscores a profound lack of coordination or, perhaps, an intentional oversight regarding the migrants’ actual nationalities and legal status, leaving them stranded in countries that are not their homelands.

This complex web of deportations began with the US government’s decision to send these individuals to Ghana, rather than directly to their countries of origin.

This practice itself is controversial, often utilized when direct deportation flights to a migrant’s home country are difficult to arrange or when the country lacks a formal repatriation agreement with the US. Ghana had reportedly been receiving such deportees from the US, often under arrangements that are not fully transparent.

The lawyer’s revelations have ignited concerns among human rights advocates and international organizations.

Immigration Equality, a US-based organization advocating for LGBTQ+ and HIV-positive immigrants, is among those expressing grave concern. Many of the individuals in question had sought asylum in the US, citing fears of persecution based on their sexual orientation or other protected grounds. Their subsequent deportation to Ghana, and then further expulsion to other West African nations, puts them at heightened risk.

The lack of due process in these double deportations is particularly troubling.

According to Hamidi, these migrants were not afforded proper legal proceedings in Ghana to determine their eligibility to remain or to ascertain their true nationalities before being put on flights to third countries. This raises significant questions about international obligations concerning asylum seekers and the rights of individuals facing deportation.

The impact on these individuals is immense.

Many have been stripped of their meager belongings, including their phones and money, upon arrival in Ghana, making communication with their legal representatives or family members virtually impossible. They are left in unfamiliar lands, without resources or support networks, facing uncertain futures and potential dangers.

The emotional and psychological toll of such repeated displacement and legal uncertainty cannot be overstated.

This situation highlights a critical gap in international immigration policies and cooperation. It underscores the need for greater transparency and adherence to human rights standards in deportation processes, especially when multiple countries are involved.

As the international community grapples with increasing migration flows, the plight of these West African migrants serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of uncoordinated and often inhumane deportation practices.