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Oliver Barker-Vormawor, a prominent legal advocate in Ghana, represents six clients who were repatriated against court orders in the US and were recently moved from a military camp to another processing site. His clients are part of a broader group of at least eleven West African nationals deported from the US who are currently challenging their detention in Ghana. Barker-Vormawor has revealed that despite public claims by Ghanaian officials that all deportees have been repatriated to their home countries, his clients remain in custody at military facilities in Ghana. He has filed urgent court applications seeking an injunction to restrain further deportations and a habeas corpus order compelling the government to produce his clients in court and justify their detention. The ongoing legal effort underscores concerns about the legality and transparency of the process. His clients include nationals from Nigeria, Liberia, Togo, Gambia, and Mali, with several having been granted protections under US immigration law shielding them from removal due to risks of persecution or torture. Barker-Vormawor argues that their detention violates constitutional protections in Ghana, particularly rights to personal liberty and due process, as well as the principle of non-refoulement, which forbids returning people to countries where they face serious harm. The recent movement of six clients to “another processing site,” believed to be in Togo, adds complexity and urgency to the situation. Barker-Vormawor stresses the need for transparency and adherence to legal standards in their treatment and status. The deportations stem from an agreement between the US and Ghana amid a broader US policy of stringent deportations, executed under the Trump administration, aiming to repatriate undocumented migrants to West African countries. The process has faced sharp criticism for alleged disregard of court orders and human rights obligations. At a recent court hearing in Accra, Barker-Vormawor emphasized the urgency of the case, highlighting conflicting statements from Ghanaian officials who claimed all deportees had been returned to their home countries, contrary to his clients’ continued detention. The High Court is set to hear the case on September 23, 2025, with the outcome potentially shaping Ghana’s role in the US deportation framework and impacting the rights of affected migrants.This case not only highlights the plight of these individuals but also raises significant questions about international refugee protections, the sovereignty of nations in deportation agreements, and the need for judicial oversight to prevent abuses in deportation processes.
