The Minority Caucus in Parliament has criticised the Ghana-US deportation deal, calling it unconstitutional and demanding its immediate suspension.

They argued that the government was implementing the agreement without parliamentary approval, which is required by the 1992 Constitution.

The caucus highlighted that past Supreme Court rulings confirmed that agreements creating obligations for Ghana must be approved by Parliament, regardless of their name or form.

They recalled a similar case in 2016 involving the detention of inmates from Guantánamo Bay, which was also found to lack proper parliamentary approval.

The caucus demanded that the government stopped implementing the current arrangement until Parliament reviewed and ratified it.

They also raised concerns that some deported individuals were being detained against their will and had begun legal action over their rights.

Furthermore, they urged the government to clarify the safeguards and measures in place to protect Ghana’s security and human rights.

They warned that bypassing parliamentary oversight could harm Ghana’s diplomatic reputation and its tradition of principled, independent foreign policy.

The caucus expressed worries about Ghana’s image, noting that aligning with US immigration policies could damage its reputation for regional solidarity and human rights.

They also criticised recent statements by the Foreign Minister, Samuel O. Ablakwa, regarding the Gaza conflict, saying that taking sides could undermine Ghana’s role as a neutral mediator.

The Minority also rejected the government’s claim that the deal only needed parliamentary approval if elevated to an agreement, stating that the Constitution and Supreme Court rulings make no such distinction.

They urged the government to halt further actions on the arrangement until Parliament had fulfilled its constitutional role to review and approve it.