The Asylum and Refugee Rights Advocacy Foundation (ARRA) has issued a stark warning against the United States government’s escalating practice of deporting migrants to third countries, not their countries of origin. This practice, ARRA argues, constitutes a grave violation of international human rights standards and undermines the sovereignty of independent nations. A recent case involving the deportation of 14 non-Ghanaians to Accra, some with pending asylum claims, exemplifies this concerning trend, which has also impacted countries like South Sudan, Uganda, and El Salvador. While the US presents these deportations as legal, ARRA contends they violate the principle of non-refoulement, a cornerstone of international refugee law, which prohibits returning individuals to places where they face potential persecution or harm.
ARRA highlights the precarious situation faced by these deportees, who are often given little notice before removal, subjected to abusive treatment during transport, and lack access to proper legal safeguards. The receiving countries, often ill-equipped to integrate these individuals, are left with the burden of accommodating non-nationals, straining their limited resources and raising questions about the use of national funds for this purpose. This practice effectively outsources the responsibility for migrants and asylum seekers to less powerful nations, creating a dangerous precedent that risks undermining regional solidarity on migration governance.
The implications of this policy extend far beyond simple migration management. ARRA emphasizes the erosion of US global goodwill, as a nation historically viewed as a champion of human rights. By prioritizing expediency over humanity, the US risks jeopardizing its international standing. The organization urges the US government to immediately suspend these third-country deportations until robust safeguards, transparency, and accountability mechanisms are established in line with international human rights and refugee law.
Furthermore, ARRA calls upon the governments of receiving countries, including Ghana, to exercise due diligence and subject deportation requests to rigorous human rights scrutiny. The organization implores international bodies like the United Nations and African Union to convene urgent discussions and develop a regional framework that safeguards the rights and dignity of deportees while addressing the security concerns of member states. ARRA stresses that receiving migrants should be viewed as a humanitarian responsibility, not a political transaction or security matter.
The Foundation also raises critical questions about the long-term consequences of these arrangements. Who bears the responsibility for the well-being of deported migrants when powerful states abdicate that duty? What are the costs to receiving nations, particularly in terms of sovereignty and stability? And importantly, do these receiving nations truly have a choice in accepting deportees, or are they coerced by political and economic pressures? These questions underscore the power imbalance inherent in these deportations and the need for a more equitable and humane approach to migration management.
ARRA’s statement concludes with a powerful assertion that this issue transcends migration, striking at the heart of sovereignty, justice, and humanity. The sovereignty of nations should not be compromised through unequal agreements, nor should vulnerable people be treated as expendable. ARRA reaffirms its commitment to displaced persons, to nations striving to protect their sovereignty, and to international partners working towards just and humane migration systems. The organization’s stance underscores the urgency of addressing this complex issue and the need for a collaborative, human-rights centered approach to migration that respects both the dignity of individuals and the sovereignty of nations.
