(Eleven West African asylum-seekers transferred by the United States to Ghana were sent on to their home countries over the weekend of September 20–21, 2025, despite pending court challenges and explicit safety concerns raised by their lawyer.) Attorney Oliver Barker-Vormawor told a Ghanaian court on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, that all eleven had been removed, effectively ending his bid to block their onward deportation and to contest their detention in Ghana.
The group comprised four Nigerians, three Togolese, two Malians, one Gambian, and one Liberian. According to filings referenced by their counsel, many had been granted or were seeking legal protections in U.S. courts because they feared torture, persecution, or inhumane treatment if returned. The lawyer said eight of the eleven had active U.S. court orders or other protections that barred direct removal to their countries of nationality.
Detention and legal challenge in Accra
After arriving in Ghana, the migrants were held for roughly two weeks at a military facility. Barker-Vormawor challenged both the detention—describing it as unlawful under Ghanaian law—and any plan to send the group back to their countries while cases were ongoing abroad and in Accra.
During those proceedings, Ghanaian authorities initially denied the group’s presence. Officials later confirmed the removals but offered little transparency about the legal basis or decision-making process.
By Tuesday, the court was told the case had become moot: the migrants had already been flown out. Families and advocates learned of the returns after the fact, heightening fears that the individuals faced risks of serious harm back home.
Given the reported history of threats and abuse underlying their U.S. filings, advocates said returning the migrants deported from Ghana could expose them to the exact dangers U.S. judges had sought to prevent.
The removals underscore a growing clash between court-ordered safeguards and fast-moving operational deals between governments.
Barker-Vormawor argued that the onward flights ignored binding protections and that the holding conditions in Ghana were never justified in court. Human rights groups warned that the lack of openness around the transfers undermined any meaningful review of risk.
Policy context and government positions
- In U.S. filings, the Department of Justice argued it does not control what Ghana does after a transfer. Officials pointed to assurances that Ghana would not send people to unsafe countries.
- A U.S. federal judge and rights advocates questioned those assurances, calling the practice an end-run around court orders that had blocked direct removals because of credible safety concerns.
- They argue that shifting people to a third country, and then moving them again, can sidestep obligations not to return someone to a place where they face likely torture or persecution.
Ghana’s government defended its arrangement to accept third-country transferees from the United States. Critics inside Ghana, including legal commentators, said the deal lacked parliamentary approval and transparency. The government has not provided a detailed public explanation addressing the specific risks raised by the lawyer for the eleven or the legal basis for detaining them at a military site.
This case reflects a broader policy push. Under President Trump, U.S. agencies expanded the use of third-country deportations when direct returns were blocked by legal protections or country conditions. Transfers have reportedly included Ghana, Rwanda, Eswatini, and South Sudan. Human rights organizations have challenged the practice in courts and public forums, arguing it violates international standards and puts vulnerable people at risk.
Advocates note that U.S. immigration courts and asylum officers regularly assess claims of fear, including protection under the Convention Against Torture. When such claims are found credible or cases remain pending, courts can halt removal.
- For official guidance on these protection processes, see the U.S. Department of Justice’s EOIR page: https://www.justice.gov/eoir.
According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the Ghana removals will likely fuel more litigation over whether governments can rely on third-country transfers to move people despite court orders that block direct deportation.
Key legal and factual questions
The timeline and actions in Ghana raise several central questions for legal observers:
- Were the detentions lawful under Ghanaian law?
- Did the removals respect the principle of non-refoulement—the rule that people should not be returned to places where they face severe harm?
- Can a transfer to a third country, followed by removal from that third country, effectively bypass protections ordered in the United States?
Barker-Vormawor’s filings emphasized that eight of the eleven had U.S. orders or similar barriers to removal—central to the dispute. Rights lawyers maintain that protections follow the person, not the route they take between countries. Government lawyers counter that host countries remain sovereign and responsible for their own decisions.
Human impact and oversight concerns
For the migrants and their families, the impact is immediate. Some had told U.S. officials they faced threats from state or non-state actors at home; others described histories of torture or targeted abuse. Legal teams stress that such claims often include medical records, police reports, or public evidence of violence.
When individuals are moved quickly—first across borders, then back to the countries they fled—lawyers say there is little chance to:
- reach them,
- confirm their safety, or
- reopen their cases.
U.S. officials insist they rely on diplomatic assurances and host-country promises. Rights groups counter that assurances are only as strong as the process behind them, pointing to:
- lack of public criteria for risk assessments in third countries,
- unclear timelines,
- limited access to counsel, and
- minimal transparency about decision-making.
In Ghana, the initial denial of the migrants’ presence—followed by confirmation of their removal—intensified worries that oversight was thin and that appeals could not be heard in time.
Wider implications for Ghana and the region
The case tests Ghana’s courts and institutions. Legal scholars in Accra say Parliament’s role in endorsing or reviewing transfer agreements remains unsettled. Without open debate, they argue, Ghanaians cannot weigh the costs and benefits of accepting people whom other countries could not send home because of court findings or pending protection claims.
For communities in West Africa, these returns occur amid instability. Nigeria, Mali, and parts of the region have seen conflict, insurgent activity, and political unrest. While each case is fact-specific, advocates warn that:
- blanket reliance on one country’s assurances,
- lack of case-by-case transparency, and
- routine use of third-country pathways
risk harm and prompt more emergency court filings to stop removals that appear to bypass earlier rulings.
Current status and what may come next
- The eleven asylum-seekers are back in their countries of origin.
- Their legal teams are working from afar to piece together next steps.
Whether future courts will accept third-country removals when legal protections exist elsewhere will determine outcomes for these individuals and others who may face similar procedures.
Key takeaway: This case highlights tensions between operational deportation arrangements and court-ordered protections. The legal and human-rights questions it raises—about detention lawfulness, non-refoulement, sovereignty, and transparency—are likely to drive further litigation and public debate.
This Article in a Nutshell
Eleven West African asylum-seekers sent by the U.S. to Ghana were deported onward to their countries of origin on September 20–21, 2025, despite legal challenges and safety concerns. The group included migrants from Nigeria, Togo, Mali, Gambia and Liberia; counsel reported eight had active U.S. court orders or protections that should have barred direct removals. They were detained for roughly two weeks at a military facility in Accra. Ghanaian authorities first denied their presence, then confirmed the removals without detailed explanations, prompting human rights concerns about transparency and non-refoulement. U.S. officials cited host-country assurances; advocates and some judges say third-country transfers risk circumventing protections, likely triggering further litigation and calls for clearer oversight and standards.
