Ghana has expelled at least six West Africans to Togo after their forced return from the United States, lawyers said Tuesday, deepening concerns over the opaque handling of deportees under a deal with Washington.

Lawyer Oliver Barker-Vormawor told the Human Rights Division of the Ghana High Court that six deportees were transferred to Togo over the weekend while a case challenging their removal was still in progress. One was released to a relative in Accra, while the whereabouts of others remain unclear.

“The rest were probably sent to Togo as well. But we haven’t been able to establish contact,” Barker-Vormawor told AFP.

The group was part of 11 West Africans who sued the Ghanaian government after arriving in Accra earlier this month under an immigration crackdown by US President Donald Trump. The deportees; from Nigeria, Togo, Mali, Liberia and Gambia had argued they were being held without charge despite protection orders from US immigration authorities.

“All of these people were seeking asylum in the US, and they’ve made clear that they were facing persecution—whether for religious reasons, political grounds, or even on the basis of their sexual orientation,” Barker-Vormawor said.

The fate of the men has been difficult to trace, with few details released about their detention or transfers. Rights groups and lawyers have accused Ghanaian authorities of bowing to US pressure as relations with Washington come under strain over tariffs and visa restrictions.

The deportations form part of Trump’s broader policy of sending migrants to third countries, a practice that has already drawn criticism after hundreds were redirected to El Salvador.

President John Mahama earlier confirmed that 14 deportees had arrived in Accra and would be allowed to stay temporarily under regional visa-free rules or return home. But opposition groups accused his government of bypassing parliament in striking the deal.

Official accounts of the group’s status have been inconsistent. Authorities initially said all 14 had gone home, but lawyers said as of last week only three had returned to their countries of origin. One Gambian deportee was later sent back to Banjul, where he is now in hiding over fears for his safety as a bisexual man in a country where same-sex relations are outlawed.

The remaining 11 were the subject of the ongoing court case, including four Nigerians, three Togolese, two Malians, one Liberian, and one Gambian.

Conditions at the detention facility in Ghana have been described as “abysmal” by US-based lawyers, with one Nigerian deportee alleging he fled torture by security forces in his home country and is married to a US citizen.

Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has confirmed that 40 more deportees are expected in the coming days, insisting that Ghana’s acceptance of them was motivated by humanitarian concerns and not as an endorsement of US policy.

Barker-Vormawor said additional deportees were already arriving last week as the legal battle over their fate continues.