According to a Ghanaian government spokesman on Monday, 14 West Africans who were deported from the US to Ghana have subsequently been sent back to their respective home countries of Nigeria and Gambia.
Thirteen Nigerians and one Gambian have returned to their home countries.
Authorities in Ghana justified their decision to accept the deportees by citing humanitarian reasons.
Ghana's Foreign Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, rejected criticism suggesting that the decision was an endorsement of US President Donald Trump's migration policies. He clarified that Ghana accepted third-country deportees "solely on humanitarian grounds."
During a press briefing in Accra on Monday, Ablakwa stated that Ghana did not receive any financial compensation from the US concerning the deportation.
The minister explained that the government wants to be viewed as a nation committed to supporting fellow Africans, which is why they informed the Americans of their refusal to accept $1.
The Nigerian government stated that it was not informed about its citizens being sent to Ghana and noted that in the past, Nigerians had been deported directly from the United States.
Officials have responded to criticism regarding the deportation, which has faced legal challenges from the lawyers representing those being deported.
Samantha Hamilton, the attorney representing the deported migrants, stated that they believe the plaintiff's deportations to Ghana violated due process principles. "These individuals were not informed about their destination," she explained.
The Gambian authorities did not provide an immediate response to a request for comment.
Lawyers challenge the statements made by Ghana's authorities.
Attorneys representing four of the 14 West African men deported by the U.S. to Ghana announced on Monday that these individuals are still in Ghana and have not been sent back to their home countries, challenging a previous statement made by a Ghanaian official who claimed all had returned home.
In a court filing, the lawyers stated that while the men's situation remained precarious, they had not been deported to their home countries. They argued that if sent back, some of them could face persecution or torture.
The confusion surrounding the case highlighted how quickly the Trump administration advanced its immigration priorities, a pace that lawyers argue has compromised immigrants' legal rights and occasionally jeopardizes their safety.
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