• Ghana faces a lawsuit from advocacy groups over deportations under US policy.
• The complaint was filed in ECOWAS concerning 27 deportees sent back to unsafe countries.
• Deportees claim they were sent back despite US protections due to fears of persecution.
• Rights groups seek $100,000 in compensation for each deportee and demand transparency on the deal.
• This case could set a precedent for handling similar agreements in the region.

Human rights groups have recently filed a complaint against Ghana at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice, representing 27 deportees affected by the Trump administration's deportation policies. The complaint alleges that Ghana has facilitated the unlawful removal of individuals to countries where they face the risk of persecution, despite prior protections granted by US courts, according to Reuters and Al Jazeera.

The lawsuit argues that Ghana's actions violate both regional and international law by returning deportees to countries where they could face harm. Many of the deportees reported being sent back within hours or days of arriving in Ghana, often under dire conditions, according to Africa News and Los Angeles Times.

Notably, some deportees who had previously been granted asylum in the United States reported being immediately sent onward to countries like Togo without proper identity documentation, leaving them vulnerable and at risk. This legal action seeks to halt such practices and demand transparency regarding Ghana’s agreement with the US, which advocates claim has not been disclosed sufficiently despite its implications, according to Al Jazeera and Los Angeles Times.

The complaint also includes demands for at least $100,000 in compensation for each deportee, as well as other reparations aimed at discouraging similar future agreements by other ECOWAS members. The implications of this lawsuit may profoundly impact how such third-country deportation deals are perceived and handled across the West African region, according to Reuters, Africa News, and Los Angeles Times.