Legal coalition sues Ghana over US deportations

A coalition of legal and advocacy groups has filed a lawsuit against Ghana at West Africa's top human rights court, alleging the country is complicit in the deportation of individuals to nations where they face persecution. The complaint was filed on Monday, June 29, 2026, at the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice in Abuja, Nigeria, on behalf of 27 individuals deported from the United States.

The lawsuit centers on a U.S. immigration policy under President Donald Trump that sends deportees to "third countries" when American judges have ruled they cannot be returned directly to their home countries due to risks of torture or persecution. According to the legal team, at least 60 people have been deported to Ghana since September 2025 under this arrangement. The 27 plaintiffs in the case had sought, and the majority had obtained, asylum or other legal protections in the United States before their removal.

The complaint alleges that Ghana violated domestic and regional law by facilitating removals to unsafe countries. It states that most of the plaintiffs were removed from Ghana to their home countries within hours or days of arrival, despite their protected status. Some were...