Ghana has deported at least six West Africans to Togo, initially expelled by the United States as part of President Donald Trump's policy to combat illegal immigration, their lawyers told AFP.

Eleven people deported by the United States and detained in Ghana have taken legal action against the Ghanaian government for detaining them without trial or charge, and preventing them from being returned to their country of origin.

Coming from Nigeria (4 people), Togo (3), Mali (2), Liberia (1) and Gambia (1), these people were deported to Ghana at the beginning of September.

"All of these people were seeking asylum in the United States, and they made it clear that they faced persecution -- whether for religious reasons, political reasons, and even because of their sexual orientation," Barker-Vormawor told AFP last week.

On Tuesday, at a hearing before a judge of the Human Rights Division of Ghana's High Court, lawyer Oliver Barker-Vormawor said they had been "evicted" without waiting for the case to be heard.

One of the 11 people was released and returned to a relative in the country, while six others were sent to Togo, he told AFP, and the remaining ones were likely "also sent to Togo, but we have not been in contact" with them, he said.

The fate of these individuals, who were seeking asylum in the United States, remains shrouded in secrecy, including the exact time of their arrival in Ghana and their location of detention.

This is despite efforts by lawyers, human rights defenders, and journalists to track the rapid pace of deportations carried out by the Trump administration and their acceptance by third countries around the world.

- Deportations to third countries -

Deporting people to third countries—often where they have never lived—has been one of President Trump's signature measures since returning to the White House in January, including sending hundreds of people to an infamous prison in El Salvador, as well as to Panama and South Sudan.

Deportations to Ghana reportedly began in early September, and more are underway—although Accra has kept many details secret.

On September 11, Ghanaian President John Mahama announced that his country had agreed to accept Washington's request to accept West African nationals deported from the United States.

The agreement was reached amid tensions with the United States, with the Trump administration increasing tariffs on Ghanaian products and restricting the number of visas.

After the first group of 14 deportees arrived in Ghana, authorities initially said they would be allowed to remain in the country temporarily, in accordance with regional visa-free travel rules, or to return home.

The announcement sparked an outcry, with the opposition claiming the deal was reached without parliament's knowledge.

Adding to the confusion, authorities had said the 14 people had returned home. However, only three had returned to their home countries, compared to 11 who remained in Ghana, Barker-Vormawor said.

Forty more people deported by the United States are expected in the coming days, Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announced last Thursday.

He said Ghana's decision to accept the deportees was based on humanitarian considerations and did not constitute an "endorsement" of U.S. immigration policy.