US handling of Ghanaian deportees inhuman – Ablakwa

The Member of Parliament for South Tongo constituency in the Volta region Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has condemned the inhumane treatment of Ghanaian deportees from the US.

“Clearly this is troubling, and this is worrying, deportees have rights even criminals have rights, even in war if the opponent surrenders and you arrest him in war, there are laws that you cannot violate the human rights of that enemy of war,” the former deputy minister of education told Accra-based Radio Gold.

He said various accounts from the deportees clearly show that their rights were violated.

“All the accounts we have been treated to, make it clear that, the deportees were deported in an inhuman state,” Mr. Ablakwa, who is the ranking member of foreign affairs, said.

He stressed there are questions to be answered by the US authorities who carried out the deportation, noting this is the second time Ghanaians are hearing this incident.

“It must be noted that this is the second time we are hearing this, and some if you recall when the US ambassador met the media in Sunyani, he indicated that they are going to deport some 7,000 Ghanaians,” the legislator noted.

At least 60 Ghanaians were Wednesday deported from the US and according to some of them they were in handcuffs in the plane, describing their treatment as inhuman.

The US Ambassador to Ghana, Robert Jackson in April this year revealed that over 7000 Ghanaians face possible deportation.

“In fact, about 7000 of them are currently at different stages of the deportation process. And we are not apologetic about that,” Ambassador Jackson said.

U.S. President Donald Trump has vowed to deport illegal immigrants and immigrants with criminal records as part of his immigration laws to be rolled out.

Despite former President Barack Obama’s push for immigration reforms, a record 2 million deportations were executed during his administration.