A new, disturbing story has developed in the aftermath of the recent deportation of West African nationals from the United States to Ghana. To date, up to 28 people have landed in Ghana through the discredited deportation scheme. Most of these deportees are escaping for their lives on account of violence in their native lands. As they have returned, now they are experiencing enormous challenges.
One of those impacted is Benjamin, one of the Nigerian nationals who was living in Ghana and came back home with other deportees. He—and the dozens of other deportees—shares a cramped hotel room that City Heights pays for on a monthly basis. Together, they take on limited resources and often subpar living conditions. They rely on monetary support from their families back home in the United States. This assistance supports them in fulfilling their basic needs.
Even after landing in the U.S., Benjamin and Emmanuel found their situation growing dire, as they dealt with use of false identities. Both men had been married to U.S. citizens and both were green card holders. He was in the process of actively fighting his removal in court when, without warning, Emmanuel suddenly found himself deported.
To heighten the drama, Benjamin told the chilling story of an encounter with immigration police. In June, a New York immigration judge laid down an important marker recently. Judge Chen ruled against deporting him to Nigeria, outlining the life-threatening dangers resulting from his fledgling political activity. Nevertheless, ICE agents still removed him from the U.S. against his will. They tortured him because he was too insubordinate to get in a military jet going to Ghana.
“We are in hiding right now because we have no type of documents, ID, whatsoever,” – Emmanuel
Per reports, upon arriving in Ghana, Ghanaian authorities violently deported an additional eight to ten other West African nationals back to Togo. They accomplished this by avoiding official border checkpoints. Upon arrival in Togo, these deportees were allegedly deposited on the public street without any passports or other identification documents in hand. Without documentation, they are at grave risk for their safety and well-being.
In Ghana, Benjamin and Emmanuel spent more than two weeks with military escort. They were subsequently detained at the Dema camp, a military camp located in Bundase, about 70 kilometers (43 miles) from Accra. The camp’s conditions and the uncertainty surrounding their status have raised concerns among human rights advocates regarding the treatment of deportees.
In April, Ghana’s President John Mahama confirmed that the country had consented to accept region-wide deportees. This decision is in line with a more global strategy to externalize migration pressures. Mahama expressed his country’s willingness to accommodate more West African nationals deported by the U.S., indicating that this arrangement may continue.
In fact, the stories of other deportees have led to widespread outrage. A bisexual man fleeing The Gambia was immediately deported by Ghanaian authorities to his native country. Since same-sex relations are criminalized in The Gambia, he is currently residing in secrecy under threat of persecution and harm.
Early media stories discovered that the first 14 deportees returned to Ghana included a number of those who had secured exemptions in U.S. immigration courts. These protections prevented them from being shipped back, as they would potentially face extreme persecution in their countries of origin. This begs several important questions concerning the legal processes that led to their deportation and whether basic due process was observed.
As the crisis continues to develop, most deportees face a grim and unpredictable reality. Yet then they find themselves in a country where safety, welcome and acceptance are not guaranteed. Poor housing and insufficient documentation pose serious barriers for them. Furthermore, fear of persecution makes it difficult for them to restore their lives.