Friday, 21st February, 2025
Hon John Ntim Fordjour
Assin South
Thank you Mr Speaker, I rise to make a Statement to address the alarming and deeply troubling deportation of the 156 Ghanaian immigrants from the United States.
Since the beginning of 2025, we have witnessed an aggressive crackdown on undocumented immigrants, leading to the forced removal of thousands of immigrants in the United States, many of whom have lived in the United States for decades, built families, and contributed meaningfully to their communities.
Mr Speaker, what is most distressing about these deportations is not only their scale but the inhumane treatment our citizens endure at United States detention centres before their forced removal. Stories in the new reports paint a grim picture of our fellow citizens subjected to degrading conditions, overcrowded and unsanitary holding facilities, shackles on their hands and feet, denial of legal representation, physical and verbal abuse, lack of medical care, and many cases outright violation of their fundamental human rights. Mr Speaker, these Ghanaians, though facing deportation for various reasons, remain our brothers and sisters, we simply cannot turn a blind eye to their suffering.
Mr Speaker, the question before this House and the Government is, what immediate diplomatic measures are being taken to ensure that the human rights of Ghanaian immigrants in the United States are protected? Our citizens deserve fair treatment, and it is imperative that our government demands accountability from United States authorities regarding the treatment of deportees before their return. I urge the Government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration to strengthen its diplomatic engagements to negotiate humane and appropriate deportation processes and ensure that the basic human rights of our dear citizens are not trampled upon.
Furthermore, Mr Speaker, we must address the urgent issue of reintegration. Many deportees arrive in Ghana with no resources, no jobs, and no clear path forward. Some have spent most of their lives in the United States of America and will struggle to integrate back into Ghanaian society without support. It is, therefore, crucial that the government, through the Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment, establish structured reintegration programmes, including job placement initiatives, skills training, and mental health and psycho-social support for returnees. We must ensure that they are not left to suffer in silence.
Mr Speaker, due to various factors including economic hardships at home, many of our citizens have undertaken high-risk and precarious migration in search of better opportunities abroad. Therefore, addressing unemployment and expanding economic prospects is crucial in curbing the number of Ghanaians turning to irregular migration. Government institutions, particularly the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), must take decisive action to combat unemployment by creating sustainable job opportunities and offering skills development programmes. Even more productive will be for the government to support and incentivise the private sector to create more jobs for the youth.
Mr Speaker, one of the most heartbreaking consequences of these deportations is family separation. Parents are ripped away from their children, spouses are left in limbo, uncertain about their future, and families are torn apart without any clear pathway nor hope to reunification. Many families have been shattered by these mass deportations, with parents separated from their children and spouses left stranded. I strongly urge the government to work through our embassies in the United States to facilitate family reunification processes, ensuring that those affected have a clear legal pathway to reconnect with their loved ones.
Finally, Mr Speaker, I propose that the Government instruct our embassies in the United States to fast-track passport processing for undocumented Ghanaian immigrants who wish to regularise their status or make informed decisions about their future before deportation becomes their only option. A proactive approach could prevent further suffering and allow those affected to navigate their immigration challenges with dignity. Now, more than ever, it is imperative for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration to lead the charge with alacrity in providing extensive consular services for Ghanaians living abroad, especially in the United States while deepening bilateral engagement with USA in relation to modalities of deportation.
As I conclude, Mr Speaker, we cannot remain silent while our citizens are treated unjustly abroad and left helpless upon their return. It is our responsibility as a nation to stand for the dignity and rights of all Ghanaians, no matter where they reside. I urge this House and the government to take immediate action to address this pressing issue.
I thank you.
Hon Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah
Manhyia South
Mr Speaker, I thank you very much for the opportunity to comment on the Statement by my Brother, Rev John Ntim Fordjour.
Mr Speaker, listening to him, one of the things one could come up with is that these deportees will be brought to Ghana but if one follows the American news cycle, one will realise that not all of the deportees are being brought to the country.
Indeed, Marco Rubio, who is the Secretary of State, has informed the United States that Panama and El Salvador have accepted to receive deportees from all nationalities into their country and Mr Speaker, when one follows the news article, one will see that El Salvador received these deportees into one of their notorious prisons, and the conditions in these prisons are so bad, they are not good for human beings to live in. These are the places where the deportees are being sent to.
We also realise that when the deportees are being sent outside the United States, we have seen news cycles which show that they are put in military planes without even proper seats, and so they travel in a very extreme and inhumane manner. This means that the United States has changed. I believe that the USA, which used to be the promoter of human rights, has changed its policy because of the kind of immigration policy that is being enforced right now.
Mr Speaker, for me, I believe that the reason people go over to America and these European countries is to seek for greener pastures. These days, we do not have political asylum seekers out of our country any longer. Indeed, if you go out there as a political asylum seeker from Ghana, you will not be accepted. It tells you where we have come as a country. The only reason people travel out of the country is because they are seeking to better their lives.
Mr Speaker, it means for us as a country, we need to do better to provide jobs and job opportunities for the people of Ghana.
Mr Speaker, I will not be able to end this Statement without also advising our people who have travelled outside the country, especially in the United States, to also take care of themselves and be law-abiding because one of the fastest ways to get arrested and be brought down is when you commit an offence. In the USA, police will not be able to stop an individual without a just cause so, when you are driving a vehicle, you need to ensure that you have everything on the car, the car number, the lights, everything is working properly. Without a just cause, a police officer in the United States will not be able to stop you. So, let us be law-abiding when we move from our country to live in places like America. If we do that, I believe that the rate of deportation will be low.
On that note, Mr Speaker, I thank, the maker of the Statement, and thank you for giving me the opportunity. I yield the floor. Mr Speaker, I thank the maker of the Statement and thank you for giving me the opportunity
Hon Seidu Alhassan Alajor
Chereponi
Thank you, Mr Speaker. I want to add my voice to the Statement. I have lived in America before and I know how the system works. I am very sure they know what they are doing and all I can say is that our citizens in America must always carry along with them the right document wherever they are going. I have friends and family there and I am always in touch with them.
I believe that they are law-abiding Ghanaians. The Ghanaian community in America and anywhere in the world are always law-abiding citizens; we represent the country at the highest level in terms of discipline, moral rights, behaviour and attitude towards our neighbours.
I believe that the Trump administration knows exactly the worth of Ghanaians. If one goes to America today, one would find Ghanaians in every office; in the hospitals and working hard at the grocery shops. We serve to the best of our ability wherever we are. I believe the policy that the American government is presently executing— America is mostly inward; they consider what is best for them and Ghanaians also understand and know very well that wherever we represent ourselves, we live with the right behaviour.
So I believe that Ghanaian citizens in America must always carry the right documents wherever they find themselves in order to avoid any litigation. Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Hon Charles Asuako Owiredu
Abirem
Thank you Mr Speaker, I want to associate myself with the Statement made by the good reverend.
Mr Speaker, it is true that when people are arrested especially in the United States, they are subjected to some inhumane conditions. I remember when I used to work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where we had times to complain about deportees being chained on flights from the United States of America to Accra. Ghanaians would be chained and not even allowed to pee on flights. I think that it is high time we looked at this issue and see what can be done about it. At the Embassies, often when Ghanaians are arrested for violating immigration conditions in the State, they do not even inform the embassies.
We only get to know when the American authorities come for travel certificates to aid in the deportation of these detainees. Other than that, officials do not even know so I think that we would have to take this matter seriously with the Embassy here in Accra. The Minister for Foreign Affairs must also engage with his or her counterpart in the United States.
Mr Speaker, luckily for us, I think that we have the name of the top-most envoy to the United States yet to be mentioned by the President. We are yet to hear who is going to represent our interest in the United States as the ambassador. I am pleading with the President to get someone who has a network within the top echelons of the conservative establishment in the United States.
It should not be appointments as usual, where we have the former top official of a party representing the interest because, under this era of gunboat diplomacy of Trump, we need people who have the network; people who can engage the Trump administration to get our bit of the national cake of America. And if we succeed in doing this, it would help us a long way.
Mr Speaker, again, I would also want to talk about the Consular Fund which is yet to be established. The Minister for Foreign Affairs when he appeared before the Appointment Committee did say that this year, he is hopeful that the Minister for Finance would allocate some funds to this Fund. It would be very good if this is done.
Mr Speaker, at the embassies, often when Ghanaians are subjected to these deportation orders, officers of the embassy would have to sit down and do lala su lala. When I was the High Commissioner in South Africa, I called my officers to contribute to buy the tickets for deportees who were brought home—and we are all aware of the meagre salaries we take abroad.
Mr Speaker, it is good that this Consular Fund is being brought into fruition and we expect that the Minister for Finance will put some huge amount of cash into this fund so that when deportees are subject to deportation, we will be able to buy their tickets and help them come home safely.
Mr Speaker, with these few words, I want to thank you and the maker of the Statement.
Hon Felicia Adjei
Kintampo South
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement made by Rev Fordjuor. Before I continue, I want to make a point of correction because this is a House of Records.
Mr Speaker, when they deport anybody from abroad, it is only when the person has done something bad, something criminal, that they are handcuffed. Most of the time when one is deported it is not all the time that one is handcuffed.
But the most important thing is that when something happens to someone outside the country, it is not even easy to get officials from the embassies. Something will happen and when we call the embassy—It has happened to me before. In 2019, when I was a Member of Parliament, I lost my bag in America. I was lucky because Hon Adwoa Safo was in America then and she happened to be with the Ambassador. They had to make another passport for me to come to Ghana. So, most of our friends and family outside, it is not that they do not want to call the embassies but when they do, the way the person would even respond to them is very sad. Imagine being outside the country and something has happened to you—
Mr Speaker, these are some of the things that we pray that His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, which I know he would do, would start this apprenticeship programme because we have a lot of people who go to Libya through the desert—My Constituency— That is why this apprenticeship is very good. They would go to Libya and come back as masons or terrazzo tilers. They are very good, especially with the way they lay their blocks; so if this 24- Hour Economy and apprenticeship programme—[Interruption]—so we would give them a technical skill just for them to learn so they can sit in their country and work to pay their taxes.
Mr Speaker, in November, somebody was appointed. I do not even know whether it was in November or December in Atlanta’s office. I do not know, Ambassador—I stand corrected. Imagine that time the person was appointed—Let something happen to somebody in Atlanta and call that office and see if somebody would pick up the phone—I am a witness.
So, I pray that the new Minister for Foreign Affairs whom we know very well and is good, Mr Okudjeto Ablakwa, would change things at the Embassy so that our people there too would have people to call when they are in trouble. Thank you for the opportunity.
Hon Frank Annoh-Dompreh
Nsawam/Adoagyiri
Mr Speaker, I am privileged to have chaired the Committee on Foreign Affairs of Parliament, once upon a time. And my Ranking Member, interestingly then was the now Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Okudjeto Ablakwa. We cannot pretend about this matter; it is something bothering our minds and has kept us wondering. I have been particularly worried about it because we have seen footage of— I would not say Ghanaians because I am unable to confirm their identity. We have footage of our fellow human beings, Africans, put in chains and deported to their countries.
Mr Speaker, suffice it to say that we have international protocols on such undertakings and hence, where countries have shown commitment to such protocols, countries in partnership cannot decide to do otherwise. And I could not have agreed more with my Colleague when he said the United States of America (USA) is respected for human rights and dignity of human beings. What is happening is not right and we cannot pretend about it. I think by this time, it should not be at the instance of we, Members of Parliament. The Minister for Foreign Affairs should be in this House to tell us in terms of giving us situational report. Nobody is saying he has caused it, no. This is not the first time deportation is happening, but the circumstance under which it is going on, is totally unacceptable and it frowns on human dignity.
Mr Speaker, I think we must take interest in this. I would have wished that the Committee on Foreign Affairs goes into this, invite the Minister and come and apprise us accordingly. We as the representation of the people must know what is happening; how many Ghanaians have been deported so far and what is the situation? We read on international media that Ghanaians cannot even go to churches. People cannot go to church; they cannot go about their social work and all that. It is a problem and I would have wished that—
We would grant the Government the benefit of the doubt because I know under the 24-Hour Economy, the Government would be able to encourage Ghanaians to move from the USA and come to Ghana because they are going to create more jobs. [Laughter] We would give them some time to set the tone, create jobs and let Ghanaians move because all the people outside would be more willing to relocate and come and support the building of our country. Many of our compatriots who are outside the country want to come to this country and help in the building of our country, especially, on their call of 24-Hour Economy.
Mr Speaker, I want to limit myself to the terms of the Statement and not to generate any debate. However, if at one instance, they are displaying a 24-Hour Economy and they are telling us—
Mr Speaker, I would draw the curtain. If it is a case that they are afraid of their own 24-Hour Economy, that is fine because I wanted to put matters in context.
Mr Speaker, you know I respect you and your rules but the fact must be told. Now that you have cautioned that I should stay away from the 24-Hour Economy—and they themselves are afraid of their 24-Hour Economy, that is fine.
I would stay away but Mr Speaker, let it be put on record that on this day, my respected Colleagues in the Majority are shying away from the 24-Hour Economy and they are saying I should not go there. That is fine; I will not go there. Let me rather conclude that it is a matter we do not have to politicise. Our own Ghanaian compatriots are outside. One can never know; it could be one’s family relation or somebody dear to us.
Mr Speaker, we cannot wish this matter away. I want to pray your consequential directives. Because we do not have our Committees, the Minister for Foreign Affairs should be duly programmed—Thankfully, he is one of our own—to come to this House and let us know what the situation is. He should give us some situational report; how many Ghanaians have been deported so far? What is the situation? What is the capacity of our embassies outside to be able to contain the situation?
Mr Speaker, we cannot wish this matter away and I would be very glad if per your wisdom, we programme the Minister for next week. We are free on Tuesday; we are told His Excellency the President would be in this House on Thursday. So, we have Tuesday and Wednesday. Between one of these days, he could be programmed, or even on Friday, for the Minister to come and address this sensitive matter. At least, Ghanaians should know that something is being done and we cannot invite anybody than the sector Minister to come and apprise us and Ghanaians would be able to know what the situation is. As for the 24-Hour Economy, we have to be proud about it.
Hon Ayariga Mahama
Bawku Central
Mr Speaker, sometimes, I am careful when commenting on matters like this. What is the background? We must always be guided by the fact. The fact is that some people living in their country have laws about how one enters and stays in their country.
We go into their country and we either go in clear violation of the laws or we try to stay in their country in clear violation of the laws. They decide to enforce their laws and we are at the receiving end of their desire to enforce their laws. So, when discussing a matter like that, one should be a bit careful because one cannot be too much against somebody who is insisting on enforcing the laws of his or her country. Yet, we have a duty at all times, no matter what happens, to protect our compatriots wherever they may find themselves.
That is why I join Colleagues in calling on our missions abroad, especially in the USA, given that they know around this time, the USA Government has taken a decision to enforce its immigration laws and many of our compatriots may be at the receiving end and may be deported, that they should extend to them their basic rights as citizens of our country. They must be available to extend whatever support that our citizens may need in order that they may not be treated inhumanely. I join Colleagues here to urge our foreign missions to be very responsive, especially around this time.
But Mr Speaker, we as a country owe them a duty, not just because they are compatriots, but their presence there over the decades have contributed to our welfare back here. Because if we look at the statistics and the revenues that come to our country, remittances are one major sources of foreign exchange that come into this economy. So, they have been contributing to the development of our economy.
So, I urge our Side, that when they are afflicted with such circumstances and they return home, we must have a buffer for them. We must make provision to receive them and make arrangements to help them to reintegrate into our society. I think that the Minister for Foreign Affairs will be up and doing in putting in place infrastructure to do that.
Mr Speaker, we are all just looking at the symptoms of a problem and failing to address the underlying cause of the problem, which is what I think the Minority Chief Whip alluded to. Why do our people walk across the Sahara Desert and risk to cross the Mediterranean Sea, just to cross into Europe? Why would they risk crossing the Atlantic Ocean into South America, and also walk across the desert through Brazil into the United States of America (USA)?
Mr Speaker, the underlying issues remain poverty, lack of economic opportunities, bad governance, and conflict on our continent, and these are the underlying issues that we must address so that when they want to travel to any of those countries, they go there just as tourists or even as investors, as we now see from Asia to North America, then to Europe. Instead of those of us in this Chamber and the political class lamenting about the decision of the USA to enforce their laws, and the treatment that they may mete out to our citizens, let us sit up and look at the fundamental issues.
The underlying causes, which is the way we have mismanaged and misgoverned our countries, the way we have wasted our resources, the corruption that leads to enormous loss of revenues to our states, our inability to create the best healthcare system for our people, and our inability to provide our people with the best skills, so that they can compete—The USA and Europe need skilled labour.
If we trained our people well and they were the most skilled, they would be here and the USA would look for them and Europe would beckon to them to come over. The whole idea of green cards and et cetera are all just mechanisms for bringing in certain categories of labour. People who have the green card and live there are not treated the way these deportees are treated. So, we need to take seriously the commitments that the NDC has made in the manifesto to try and build the skills of the youth.
Mr Speaker, it is the way forward; that we invest in human resource development and skills. When our youth are skillful— Mr Speaker, we are dealing with the underlying issues of immigration and migration, and what we should do to deal with it. I really had no objection with him providing such guidance.
I think Mr Speaker, no, anytime he mentioned the 24-Hour Economy, the reason you heard some responses from this Side was that, they were excited that he was in love with the 24-Hour Economy. That he is the person engaged in advocacy of the 24-Hour Economy. That was why we responded; not that we were objecting to him mentioning the 24- Hour Economy. Indeed, we are happy when Friends on the other Side show that they accept the policy of the 24- Hour Economy the way Ghanaians accepted it and voted for NDC massively.
Mr Speaker, I think that as a political class, we owe it a duty to all those young people who have died in the Mediterranean Sea, died walking across the Sahara Desert, and who have been victims of rape, arson, killings in South America, trying to walk into the USA. We need to sit up and start running our countries properly, creating real opportunities, building their skills, and making the best use of our resources to create economic opportunities for them. I am not saying there would never be migration, but if we did this, we would significantly minimise it.
So that, when there are immigration enforcement measures in the USA, we would not be having sleepless nights about our family members being deported, because they would not be the target. This does not just apply to Ghana.
Mr Speaker, I have been a Member of the ECOWAS Parliament and this is a major issue for the sub-region. How we can ensure that we minimise conflict because it is one of the reasons many of our populace are compelled to migrate. They migrate within West Africa and some migrate across the oceans. Unless we fix our countries and deal with conflict, we would not easily deal with the problem of migration.
Mr Speaker, let me join Colleagues to commend the maker of the Statement for drawing our attention to this situation, and to join them to urge our Minister for Foreign Affairs to put in place adequate measures to support our compatriots who may be victims of deportation by USA. Mr Speaker, I thank you very much.
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