Ghana is at the center of an international controversy after West African migrants deported from the United States were later sent on to their home countries, despite U.S. court orders meant to protect some of them from refoulement.

The situation emerged as part of the Trump administration’s “third-country” deportation policy, under which the United States has transferred foreign nationals it cannot easily return directly to their countries of origin.

Instead, Washington struck agreements with nations including Ghana and Equatorial Guinea to temporarily receive those migrants.

One of the most closely watched cases involves Rabbiatu Kuyateh, a 58-year-old woman from Sierra Leone who had lived in Maryland for nearly 30 years.

Kuyateh had secured a legal order in U.S. immigration court that was intended to protect her from being sent back to Sierra Leone, where she said she and her family faced political persecution.

Despite that order, U.S. authorities deported her on Nov. 5, 2025, to Ghana, where she was held in a hotel for six days. According to interviews and legal filings reviewed by Reuters, Ghanaian authorities then forcibly returned her and dozens of other West Africans — including individuals from Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo — to their respective home countries.

Video posted on social media and verified by Kuyateh’s family shows uniformed men dragging her across a hotel floor as she cried, “I’m not going!” before being placed in a van, an image that sparked a broader conversation about the treatment of migrants under these arrangements.

Human rights advocates say the practice may violate international norms, particularly the prohibition on refoulement, which bars the return of individuals to countries where they could face torture or persecution.

Elora Mukherjee, director of the Immigrants’ Rights Clinic at Columbia Law School, rejected the use of third countries like Ghana as a bypass of established protections.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that those sent to Ghana and other third countries were labeled “illegal aliens” with final removal orders, and insisted due process had been followed. DHS did not comment on the subsequent repatriations to home countries.

Ghana’s foreign ministry, interior ministry and immigration service did not respond to Reuters requests for comment on the deportees’ treatment or repatriation process. Officials in Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea also declined to comment.

Uganda’s long-serving President Yoweri Museveni is leading by a wide margin in early results from the country’s 2026 general election, according to official tallies released on Friday, January 16, 2026.

The Electoral Commission of Uganda announced that Museveni, 81, who has ruled the East African nation since 1986, secured approximately 68% of the vote with more than half of polling stations reporting.

His main challenger, opposition leader Bobi Wine (real name Robert Kyagulanyi), trailed with around 25%, while other candidates shared the remaining votes.

Museveni’s National Resistance Movement (NRM) also dominated parliamentary races, with preliminary figures showing the ruling party winning a commanding majority in the 556-seat legislature.

The results, while still preliminary, point to a decisive victory for the veteran leader in an election widely criticized by international observers for irregularities, voter intimidation, and restrictions on opposition campaigns.

The European Union and United States have already expressed concern over the electoral process, citing limited access for independent observers, internet shutdowns, and arrests of opposition figures in the lead-up to the January 15 vote.

Museveni’s supporters, however, hail the outcome as a reflection of widespread public support for his leadership and stability in a region often plagued by conflict.

Bobi Wine and his National Unity Platform (NUP) have rejected the early results, alleging widespread rigging and calling for a full investigation. In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Wine declared:

“This is not an election result; it is a declaration of war on the will of the Ugandan people.”

The election comes at a critical time for Uganda, as Museveni seeks a seventh term amid economic pressures, youth unemployment, and regional security challenges.

A continued NRM dominance would extend his rule to nearly 45 years, making him one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders.

An American family, the Wilsons, has found themselves stranded in Nigeria since early January 2026, unable to bring their legally adopted special-needs toddler home to the United States due to a new immigration restriction under Presidential Proclamation 10998.

The policy, effective January 1, 2026, suspends or limits entry and visa issuance for nationals from 39 countries—including Nigeria—eliminating previous categorical exceptions for adoption visas (IR-3, IR-4, IH-3, IH-4).

Kaylee Wilson, speaking in an emotional video and post under the handle @kreativekay_wilson, shared the family’s plight: The Wilsons legally adopted their medically fragile child nearly a year ago. Through dedicated care, love, and nutrition, the now-happy two-year-old toddler has become fully integrated into the family. After following all legal processes, they expected to complete the immigration formalities and return to the U.S. together. However, the proclamation has blocked the child’s entry.

“We legally adopted our special needs baby almost a year ago,” Kaylee narrated in the video, showing family moments and the child’s progress. “They were medically fragile when we first arrived in Nigeria, but through love and nutrition they are now a happy toddler fully integrated into our family.”

She reiterated the family’s resolve:

“Could our family return to the US without our toddler? Yes, but that would mean taking them back to the orphanage. We are not abandoning our child at the orphanage… If our baby is locked out of the United States, then so are we.”

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A post shared by Kaylee (@kreativekay_wilson)

The family also pointed out what they describe as inconsistencies in the policy: While foreign diplomats, professional athletes, coaches, and others from restricted countries can still enter the U.S., adopted children—who undergo rigorous background checks and whose adoptive parents are cleared by the FBI and Homeland Security—are barred.

“This is literally the first time in U.S. history that internationally adopted children have been prohibited from entering the US,” Kaylee stated.

The proclamation, signed by President Donald Trump on December 16, 2025, expands earlier restrictions from June 2025 (Proclamation 10949), citing national security concerns related to screening and vetting deficiencies in certain countries.

It affects Nigeria with a partial suspension on most immigrant and certain nonimmigrant visas but explicitly removes exemptions for adoption-related visas. The U.S. Department of State has confirmed that applicants may submit applications and attend interviews but are generally ineligible for issuance or admission under the new rules.

Hundreds of families are reportedly impacted, with some children remaining in orphanages indefinitely.

The Wilsons are calling on the public to engage—liking, commenting, and sharing the video—to raise awareness, and urging U.S. citizens to contact their senators and representatives to advocate for reinstating exemptions for adopted children. They have also invited affected families and news outlets to reach out via email.

This situation brings renewed attention to the human impact of U.S. immigration policies under the current Trump administration, particularly on African nations like Nigeria, where U.S. families have long pursued adoptions to provide stable homes for vulnerable children.