Political scientist Dr Kwame Asah-Asante has criticised the Ghanaian government’s handling of the ongoing deportation of West African nationals from the United States, describing the situation as “difficult to understand” and calling for more humane treatment of those affected.

His comments come after a Sierra Leonean woman, among more than 20 West African nationals awaiting deportation, was forcibly removed from her hotel room by officers of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) at the Vicsem Hotel in Ogbojo, a suburb of Accra, on Tuesday, November 11, 2025.

The woman, a registered nurse who had lived in the US for 35 years, reportedly pleaded with officers to allow her to remain in Ghana, saying she had no family in Sierra Leone. Her appeal was rejected, and she is said to have suffered an asthma attack during the altercation.

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Reacting to the incident on JoyNews’ AM Show, Dr Asah-Asante questioned the logic behind Ghana’s involvement in the deportation process and the treatment of the returnees.

“It’s a difficult thing to understand because if you don’t want them, you don’t let them come in,” he said. “But when you bring them here, then you must safeguard their existence.”

He noted that the issue raised broader concerns about Ghana’s role in enforcing deportation deals with foreign governments and whether due process and human rights standards were being upheld.

The Ghana Immigration Service has yet to issue a detailed statement on the reported incident.

The development has since sparked public debate over the transparency of Ghana’s cooperation with the US on deportation matters, with critics calling for parliamentary oversight and greater protection for those affected.