The Asylum and Refugee Rights Advocacy Foundation, also known as the Asylum and Refugee Rights Advocates (ARRA), has raised serious concerns that the United States government’s increasing practice of deporting migrants to countries other than their own represents a serious threat to international human rights standards and the sovereignty of independent nations.
In a press statement released on Sunday, September 21, 2025, and signed by its Founder and Executive Director, Dr. Okey James Ezugwu, Esq., a Legal Practitioner and Assistant Comptroller General of Immigration Service (Retired), ARRA stated unequivocally: “The Asylum and Refugee Rights Advocacy Foundation (ARRA) expresses profound concern over the increasing practice by the United States government of deporting migrants, not to their countries of origin, but to third states, including Ghana and other African nations.”
According to the Foundation, the latest development occurred earlier this month when “a U.S. deportation flight arrived in Accra with 14 non-Ghanaians who had allegedly entered the United States irregularly, with some reported to have pending protection or asylum claims. Unfortunately, this is no longer an isolated incident.”
Dr. Ezugwu and ARRA explained that this trend has extended beyond Ghana. “Similar deportations have been documented to countries such as South Sudan, Eswatini, Uganda, Rwanda, Djibouti, Panama, Costa Rica, and El Salvador,” the statement said, underscoring the global nature of the issue.
The Foundation acknowledged that Washington presents these removals as lawful but immediately countered that “international law and long-standing human rights norms raise serious concerns.” The statement drew attention to the principle of non-refoulement, which is at the core of international refugee protections. “Deporting individuals to countries with which they have no familial, cultural, or legal ties—often on little more than 24 hours’ notice and without proper opportunity to pursue asylum—undermines the principle of non-refoulement. This principle, enshrined in the 1951 Refugee Convention, prohibits sending individuals to places where they risk persecution, ill-treatment, or grave harm.”
Equally disturbing to ARRA are consistent reports surrounding the treatment of deportees. The organization highlighted “abusive shackling and poor treatment during transport; lack of adequate screening or legal safeguards before removal; [and] receiving states being ill-prepared or unequipped to integrate deportees, leaving them in limbo.”
The press statement further emphasized the strain this policy places on receiving countries. “This practice places governments of receiving countries in a difficult position,” ARRA wrote. “Accepting deportees without clear legal basis risks creating the perception of complicity in policies that treat vulnerable human beings as burdens rather than rights-holders. It strains already-limited resources and raises legitimate questions from citizens about why scarce national funds must be directed toward accommodating non-nationals abruptly redirected to them by a foreign power.”
From a regional perspective, ARRA warned of a dangerous precedent: “On a regional level, it sets a dangerous precedent: that responsibility for migrants and asylum seekers can be outsourced by powerful countries, with little or no accountability. Such practices risk undermining the sovereignty of nation states and weakening regional solidarity on migration governance.”
The group’s concerns extend beyond governments to the devastating human consequences. “For migrants themselves, the consequences are severe and immediate. Once flown out of the United States, their access to legal recourse is virtually extinguished. In many receiving countries, asylum systems are weak or under-resourced, leaving deportees with few options for protection. With limited assistance from international organizations, many are left vulnerable to exploitation, trafficking, and irregular survival strategies.”
Dr. Ezugwu warned that the reputation of the United States is at stake. “The United States, long regarded as a champion of democracy and human rights, risks eroding its global goodwill by adopting a policy that prioritizes expediency over humanity. ARRA firmly believes that a country of such influence and capacity can—and must—pursue more just and sustainable solutions.”
In laying out its demands, ARRA called on all relevant actors to act responsibly. “We call on the Government of Ghana and other nation states approached for third-country deportation arrangements to exercise due diligence and subject such requests to rigorous human rights scrutiny before making commitments. We call on the United Nations, African Union, and regional blocs to urgently convene discussions and develop a regional framework that ensures the safety, dignity, and rights of deportees while balancing the security needs of member states. We call on nation states to recognize that receiving migrants must be viewed primarily as a humanitarian responsibility and not simply a political transaction or security matter. We call on the U.S. government to immediately suspend third-country deportations until robust safeguards, transparency, and accountability mechanisms are established in full compliance with international human rights and refugee law.”
The Foundation also pressed the international community to grapple with critical unanswered questions. “Who bears ultimate responsibility for the well-being of deported migrants when powerful states relinquish that duty? What is the long-term cost to receiving nations when they accept such arrangements—sometimes at the expense of their sovereignty and stability? Do receiving states truly have a choice, or is consent shaped by political and economic pressure?”
In its concluding remarks, ARRA stressed that the issue transcends migration management. “At its heart, this issue is not only about migration; it is about sovereignty, justice, and humanity. The sovereignty of nation states should not be bartered away under unequal arrangements, nor should vulnerable people be treated as disposable.”
Finally, reaffirming its position and mission, ARRA declared: “ARRA stands firmly with displaced persons, with nation states seeking to protect their sovereignty, and with international partners working toward fair and humane migration systems.”
The statement encapsulates ARRA’s commitment to both the rights of displaced people and the independence of the states being asked to shoulder the burden. By drawing a line against the practice of third-country deportations, the Foundation insists that sovereignty and humanity must not be compromised in the face of unequal global arrangements.
Signed,
Dr Okey James Ezugwu Esq.
Legal Practitioner
Assistant Comptroller General of Immigration Service (retired)
Founder and Executive Director,
Asylum and Refugee Rights Advocates
