International Relations Expert, Dr. Vladimir Antwi-Danso has said Ghana’s agreement with the United States for West African deportees to be sent to Ghana is not solely based on humanitarian grounds.
His comments follow President John Dramani Mahama’s disclosure last week that the 14 West African deportees arrived in Ghana after an agreement with the US government.
The agreement comes amid President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration policy, which has seen record-level deportations of migrants living illegally in the US.
In an interview on TV3’s News360 on Thursday, September 18, 2025, he explained that such diplomatic relations could not have taken place if Ghana would not gain from the agreement.
Dr. Vladimir Antwi-Danso is certain that Ghana must have been promised something beneficial for the country to seal the deal with Washington.
“Again, let me make it clear that it is never true that in such diplomatic relations, you will go on humanitarian grounds and get nothing. Even on humanitarian grounds, there is something promised.
“There is no way any relationship is made on the grounds of one side winning and the other side losing so there must be some promise given us by the Americans before we accepted to bring them here.
“We couldn’t have taken them without any promise given us,” he stated.
Dr. Antwi-Danso found it problematic for Ghana to accept such agreement questioning why the United States did not strike such a deal with ECOWAS, the regional body for West African States.
“Why should it be the case that America’s immigration problem should be the problem of Ghana and not the problem of ECOWAS. Why did America not negotiate with ECOWAS and negotiated with Ghana? What role is Ghana playing and who is paying for their upkeep here?” he added.
Meanwhile, lawyers of eleven West African nationals who are challenging their detention in Ghana have told an Accra High Court that, contrary to claims by President Mahama and Foreign Affairs Minister Okudzeto Ablakwa, they remain in custody in Ghana and have not been repatriated to their home countries.
Lead Counsel Oliver Barker Vormawor has filed two ex parte applications: an injunction restraining the Ghana government from repatriating the US deportees, and a habeas corpus application seeking an order to compel the government to produce them in court.
The eleven West African nationals are from Nigeria, Liberia, Togo, Gambia, Niger and Mali.
During a virtual hearing on Thursday, September 18, Barker Vormawor argued that there was no legal basis for the continuous detention of the foreign nationals, adding that there was no court order to prove the same.
He noted that time was of the essence since President Mahama had through a media engagement indicated that the deportees had been repatriated to their home countries, with the Foreign Affairs Minister affirming same during a separate press conference.
He added that contrary to statements, the US deportees were still being held in military bases in the country, adding that the injunction application would prevent them from getting repatriated to their home countries, where they could face torture, persecution, among others.
Deportation of ECOWAS nationals: Our clients are still in custody in Ghana – Lawyers tell court
