Vanderpuye Defends Ghana’s Acceptance of US Deportees as Act of Hospitality, Not Pressure
National Coordinator for the District Roads Improvement Programme (DRIP) Nii Lante Vanderpuye has defended the government’s decision to accept West African deportees from the United States, framing it as a humanitarian gesture rooted in Ghanaian hospitality rather than external coercion.
Speaking on Breakfast Daily on Channel One TV, Vanderpuye responded to mounting criticism amid a public debate over the arrangement. So far, Ghana has received 14 West African nationals—primarily Nigerians and a Gambian—deported under the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, with Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announcing that about 40 more are expected.
None of the deportees were originally Ghanaian, and several have been repatriated to their home countries, though lawyers for five (three Nigerians and two Gambians) filed a lawsuit in Ghana claiming illegal detention and risks of persecution if returned.
Vanderpuye rejected claims of US economic pressure, such as tariffs or visa restrictions, insisting the move aligns with Ghana’s pan-African solidarity and cultural values. “A lot of our folks prefer to stay over there, even if it’s in the American prisons… Would you allow your fellow human being to be dumped in Guantánamo Bay to be treated unjustly, or would you want to open your gates to them?” he questioned, drawing from his Ga heritage: “Once someone knocks on your door, you warmly receive the person and get them some water to drink as custom demands.
” He called for long-term policies to promote self-reliance and reduce migration drivers, ensuring Ghana remains a “peaceful nation.”
The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) Minority has demanded immediate suspension of the deal, arguing it violates Article 75 of the 1992 Constitution, requiring parliamentary ratification for international agreements, as ruled by the Supreme Court in cases like the 2016 Gitmo 2 and 2017 Yemeni nationals admissions.
They cited security risks, sovereignty concerns, and lack of safeguards, labeling it a “constitutional betrayal” and “affront to the Supreme Court.
Ablakwa has countered that the arrangement is an informal MoU, not a binding treaty, and rooted in humanitarian principles, with no security risks as deportees are screened.
President Mahama echoed this, describing it as pan-African empathy to prevent unsafe returns.
The controversy has drawn international attention, with a US lawsuit by five deportees alleging violations of protections against return to peril, and a Ghanaian suit claiming illegal detention in a military facility.
Ghanaian authorities deny holding anyone against their will, stating all 14 have been repatriated
