By: Hamza Lansah Lolly/ Baba Mohammed Issahaq
The Minority on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee is demanding the immediate suspension of an agreement between Ghana and the United States, under which Ghana is reportedly receiving West African nationals deported from the US.
The group says fourteen deportees have already arrived in the country, raising what it calls serious constitutional, sovereignty, and foreign policy concerns.
In a statement signed by Ranking Member Hon Samuel Jinapor, the Minority insists the deal violates Article 75 of the Constitution, which requires all international agreements to be laid before Parliament and ratified.
They point to Supreme Court rulings, including Banful v Attorney-General and Brogya Gyamfi v Attorney-General, which affirmed that no such agreement can take effect without parliamentary approval, regardless of the form it takes.
The caucus also draws parallels to the controversial 2016 case involving two former Guantanamo Bay detainees admitted into Ghana. At the time, the Supreme Court declared that move unconstitutional because it bypassed Parliament.
Beyond the legal questions, the Minority warns that the arrangement could undermine Ghana’s sovereignty and dent the country’s international reputation. They argue that by accepting deportees on behalf of the US, Ghana risks being seen as endorsing what they describe as “harsh and discriminatory” American immigration policies.
The statement calls on the government to clarify when the agreement was signed, whether it has been ratified, and what security measures are in place to safeguard the nation.
Until then, the Minority wants the arrangement suspended, stressing that no future agreements of this nature should take effect without the approval of Parliament.
For the caucus, the issue is not only about legality, but also about protecting Ghana’s long-standing reputation for principled diplomacy and respect for human rights.
