Government protests US deportation

The government of Ghana has cautioned authorities in the United States (US) over the reported ill treatment they met out to Ghanaian deportees from US.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayorkor, is said to have warned the US government in a “strongly worded” letter.

The Minister, according to information gathered by DAILY GUIDE, told the government of the US that the West African nations could no longer entertain the maltreatment of their deportees.

She is said to have told the Donald Trump-led Republican government to respect the rights and dignity of Ghanaian deportees.

Several Ghanaians have been deported from the US over the years for various reasons, including illegal residence.

On March 24, 2018, some 86 Ghanaians were deported from the US and were reportedly shackled in chains like modern-day slaves, which sparked intense public outrage in the country.

Madam Ayorkor has signaled that enough is enough and that the Americans must take concrete steps to bring an end to the maltreatment.

In a letter, she stated emphatically, “Whilst the government of Ghana recognizes that countries act within their sovereign rights on matters on immigration, deportation processes must be consistent with international best practices and national laws and must uphold the dignity of the peoples involved”.

In a letter dated April 12, 2018, the Minister for Foreign Affairs underscored that such inhumane act “undermines the status of the United States of America as a champion of International Human Rights.”

Thus, she observed that it would serve America well if its law enforcement officials desisted from treating foreign nationals in a dehumanising manner, especially Ghanaian deportees.

Meanwhile, Minister for Information, Mustapha Hamid, speaking on the issue in an interview with the media stated, “It does not matter to us that it is the United States of America that is abusing the rights of our citizens. As a government, our allegiance is to the interests and wellbeing of the Ghanaian people and we shall do everything to protect those interests.”

He stressed, “America is a member of the Comity of Nations and therefore must act in tandem with the principles that govern the Comity of Nations.”