Abu Jinapor on why Ghana/U.S. deportees agreement need parliamentary scrutiny and clarification after US tried to dump El Salvadorian 'criminal' in Ghana

The Member of Parliament for Damongo and Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has said this week's development on whether the United States was considering deporting an El Salvador national, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, described as a notorious criminal, to Ghana under a deportee arrangement makes the Minority's demand for a Parliamentary scrutiny of the said agreement more reasonable.

The Minority has demanded that, whatever agreement Ghana has entered into with the United States for deportees to be sent to Ghana, should be tabled in Parliament for scrutiny and ratification.

But the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has said the agreement was for Ghana to receive only West African nationals.

However, reports this week had suggested that the US was considering deporting the said Salvador national, said to be a criminal, to Ghana.

Mr Ablakwa in a Facebook post, said Ghana was not going to accept Abrego Garcia as that was not part of the agreement.

Later on Friday, it emerged that apart from Ghana, two other African countries had said they won’t let the US deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to their countries, potentially frustrating the Trump administration’s plans to keep Garcia in custody.

The rejections – two of which were revealed by a senior Immigration and Customs Enforcement official in a Maryland courtroom on Friday – could lead a federal judge to order the administration to release Abrego Garcia from immigration custody for now, if she decides that his deportation does not appear imminent.

The three African countries – Uganda, Eswatini, and Ghana – have said at various points in recent weeks that they would not allow Abrego Garcia, the Maryland man unlawfully deported to El Salvador in mid-March and later sent back to the US to face human smuggling charges, to be put on a plane and sent to their territories.

Under a 2019 court order, US officials are barred from sending Abrego Garcia to El Salvador, his home country, which he fled years earlier amid threats of gang violence.

On Friday, Mr. Ablakwa in a Facebook post, reiterated that the understanding between Ghana and the U.S. only concerns the possible reception of a small number of non-criminal West Africans, on humanitarian grounds and in the spirit of African solidarity.

Abu Jinapor's call

Mr. Abu Jinapor, in a statement on Saturday [October 11], welcomed the clarification, describing it as “a major relief and a welcome development.” 

He commended the Foreign Minister for moving quickly to address what had become a matter of national concern but stressed the need for greater transparency and constitutional compliance in all international agreements.

He indicated that the explanation that the said agreement concerns only the possible reception of a limited number of non-criminal West Africans, on humanitarian grounds and in the spirit of African solidarity, seems to contradict the widely held view that this agreement is a quid pro quo for the recent visa concessions granted by the Trump administration. 

"These and other considerations highlight the need for utmost transparency in the conduct of our foreign policy and the importance of subjecting such agreements to Parliamentary ratification," he stated.

"It is for reasons such as these that the Minority has consistently called on the Government to lay the said agreement before Parliament for ratification, in accordance with Article 75 of our national Constitution. The constitutional requirement that such agreements be laid before Parliament for ratification is intended to safeguard the sovereignty of our Republic and ensure that the actions of the Executive remain consistent with the rule of law. It also provides an opportunity for the full details of this controversial arrangement to be properly presented to the nation," he added.

Below is a copy of the statement

On 10th October 2025, a United States–based news outlet, ABC News, reported that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security intends to deport one Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an alleged notorious criminal, to Ghana under the Ghana-U.S. deportee agreement.

The Hon. Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has since clarified that Mr. Garcia will not be deported to Ghana.

This is a major relief and a welcome development. The Hon. Minister’s further explanation that the said agreement concerns only the possible reception of a limited number of non-criminal West Africans, on humanitarian grounds and in the spirit of African solidarity, seems to contradict the widely held view that this agreement is a quid pro quo for the recent visa concessions granted by the Trump administration.

These and other considerations highlight the need for utmost transparency in the conduct of our foreign policy and the importance of subjecting such agreements to Parliamentary ratification.

It is for reasons such as these that the Minority has consistently called on the Government to lay the said agreement before Parliament for ratification, in accordance with Article 75 of our national Constitution. The constitutional requirement that such agreements be laid before Parliament for ratification is intended to safeguard the sovereignty of our Republic and ensure that the actions of the Executive remain consistent with the rule of law. It also provides an opportunity for the full details of this controversial arrangement to be properly presented to the nation.

With Parliament set to resume on 21st October 2025, Government has a golden opportunity to uphold this constitutional requirement. We therefore reiterate our call on Government to take the necessary steps to lay the agreement before Parliament. Doing so will promote transparency, restore public confidence, and strengthen the principles of accountability that underpin our democratic governance.

Relate article: US accepts Ghana’s refusal to receive US deportee Abrego Garcia - Ablakwa