Ghana Gains No Financial Benefit from US Deportees Deal – Ablakwa

The minister's comments come on the back of reports that a lawsuit filed in the US accuses the Trump administration of using Ghana, and other African countries as "transit hubs" to secretly deport migrants

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has stated that Ghana has not received any financial or material gains from its agreement with the United States to accept some West African deportees.

Speaking at the Government Accountability Series on Monday, he said the arrangement is based on Pan-African empathy, and not a transactional one.

“It is important to state that Ghana has not received any money, compensation or any material benefit in relation to this understanding. Our decision is grounded purely on humanitarian grounds and principle,” Mr Ablakwa said.

The minister’s comments come on the back of reports that a lawsuit filed in the US accuses the Trump administration of using Ghana and other African countries as “transit hubs” to secretly deport migrants, circumventing legal protections granted by American immigration judges.

In Ghana, opposition MPs say the president broke laws by not informing Parliament about the agreement. Some have likened it to the former Gitmo 2 arragement deal between Ghana and the US.

“The purported agreement with the United States clearly falls within the scope of Article 75 of our Constitution. It is therefore shocking that the current government, knowing the unambiguous requirements of the law, will blatantly defy this constitutional provision and proceed to receive foreign nationals,” the Minority said in a statement.

President Mahama only informed the public about the arrangement last Wednesday when he hosted journalists for a media encounter.

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