The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has clarified an immigrant, Kilmar Abrego Garcia with the United States Department of Homeland Security will not be deported to Ghana.
The clarification by Mr. Ablakwa follows publication by US based international media outlet ABC News Mr. Garcia who has been involved in a legal battle with the Trump administration is heading to Ghana as part of an agreement between the two countries.
In a Facebook post, Mr. Ablakwa categorically stated “Ghana is not accepting Abrego Garcia. He cannot be deported to Ghana.”
According to him government has communicated this position clearly to the US authorities, noting that Ghana’s previous understanding to accept a limited number of non-criminal West Africans was based solely on African solidarity and humanitarian grounds.
He emphasized that this arrangement “will not be expanded” to include individuals who do not meet those criteria.
The North Tongu MP took a strong exception to the ABC News report describing it as misleading.
“Ghana strongly objects to these misleading media reports,”
Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran native who had been living in Maryland with his wife and children, was deported in March to El Salvador’s CECOT mega-prison — despite a 2019 court order barring his deportation to that country due to fear of persecution. The Trump administration claimed he was a member of the criminal gang MS-13, which his family and attorneys deny.
Ghana recently received 11 West Africans deported from the US which became very controversial with the minority arguing such an arrangement requires parliamentary ratification.
