70 Ghanaian Deportees Receive Inhumane Treatment on Journey from US

At least 70 Ghanaians were deported from the United States, landing at the Kotoka International Airport in Ghana's capital of Accra Wednesday amid reports of mistreatment.

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According to Africa News, many of these deportees were handcuffed while they were still on the plane. The deportees had no belongings or money on them and they described their treatment as inhuman.< /p>

"All the accounts we have received, make it clear that the deportees were deported in an inhuman state," said Ablakwa.

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, MP for South Tongo in the Volta region condemned the inhumane treatment of Ghanaian deportees on their journey back home.

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

According to Africa News, the deportees refused to disembark from the plane to protest the inhumane treatment including shackling before and during the journey.

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One of the deportees said “We have been handcuffed from Monday to today (Wednesday), a lot of people here (Kotoka Airport) today saw it. If you think I am lying, you can ask the people around. If you want to urinate you struggle in the handcuff before passing urine,” according to the Daily Guide.

Ablakwa, also Ghana's former deputy minister of education said, "Clearly this is troubling, and this is worrying, deportees have rights," adding, "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."

“I want to stress that we all have to condemn the way these deportees have been treated. Inasmuch as we all concede that the deportees have questions to answer, it is important that these deportees’ rights are respected," Ablakwa concluded.

This is the second mass deportation of Ghanaians from the United States. Last year, 108 Ghanaian immigrants were deported from the United States.