By Sarah Baafi
A team from the Ghana Embassy in Washington, D.C., under the leadership of Ambassador Victor Emmanuel Smith, recently toured an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Pennsylvania holding multiple Ghanaian nationals.
According to the embassy, the facility currently detains 11 Ghanaians 10 men and one woman with stays lasting from two weeks up to 10 months.
Ambassador Smith and his delegation received updates from center staff on the detainees’ situations. They also held direct meetings with the Ghanaians to evaluate their care, medical needs, well-being, and personal grievances.
In remarks to the group, Ambassador Smith addressed the hardship of marking Christmas in custody, far from loved ones. He observed that the detainees seemed physically stable but understood the difficulties of facing potential deportation and readjusting back home.
“The government understands the human pain involved, and we approach this situation with compassion and dignity,” he said. “The circumstances of detention do not define an individual’s future.”
He urged them to stay resilient as their cases move forward, stressing Ghana’s support for returning citizens. “While this chapter is challenging, it does not define anyone’s future. With time and the right processes, opportunities can always open again. Back home in Ghana, meaningful opportunities are being created under the Mahama administration’s reset agenda to help returning citizens rebuild their lives with dignity. There is no shame in starting again,” he added.
This outreach forms part of Ambassador Smith’s continued work to connect with Ghanaians throughout the U.S., including those detained, fulfilling the embassy’s consular duties.
