US Deportations: Ghana as a Third Country Transit Hub for Asylum Seekers

Rabbiatu Kuyateh's Deportation Ordeal

• 💔 Rabbiatu Kuyateh, a Sierra Leone native living in the US for 30 years, faced detention by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in November 2025.
• ⚖️ Despite a US immigration judge granting her protection from deportation due to fears of torture in Sierra Leone, she was sent to Ghana.
• ⛓️ Kuyateh alleges she was held in Ghana for six days before being forcibly removed to Sierra Leone, suffering physical harm during the process.

Third Country Removals and Legal Challenges

• 🌍 The case highlights the Trump administration's use of "third country removals," sending individuals to countries other than their home nations to expedite deportations.
• 🚫 Migrant advocates and human rights groups argue this practice circumvents US and international laws prohibiting the return of individuals to countries where they face persecution.
• ✈️ Lawyers report that over 30 individuals from various countries were deported to Ghana by the US, with at least 22 subsequently sent by Ghana to their home countries, despite having court-ordered protection in the US.
• 🏛️ These protections were based on reasons such as political views, sexual orientation, or fear of female genital mutilation.

Ghana's Role and US Policy Defense

• 🤝 Lawyers accuse Ghana of acting as a transit hub for US deportees, with clients reportedly not given opportunities to raise legal objections.
• 🗣️ Meredith Yun, litigation director for Asian-Americans Advancing Justice, criticizes the policy for sending vulnerable refugees to places without protection, where they may face persecution.
• ⚖️ The Supreme Court has ruled that migrants can be sent to a third country during legal challenges without immediate opportunity to demonstrate dangers.
• 🇺🇸 The Department of Homeland Security defends the policy, stating those sent to African nations were illegal aliens with final removal orders, many having criminal records.
• 🇬🇭 Ghana's government claims its decision to accept deportees was based on humanitarian principles, with arrangements made for their onward transfer to their home countries.

Ongoing Investigations and Personal Impact

• 🔍 Ghana's interior ministry stated it was investigating Rabbiatu Kuyateh's treatment by immigration officials, but results have not been made public.
• 👨‍👦 Kuyateh is now hiding in another West African country, separated from her son in the US and her aging parents, for the first time in decades.