Pregnant Ghanaian woman Annabella Gyasi and her four-year-old son return to Ghana after being detained for over a week at a US airport following an asylum request during a medical trip.
A pregnant Ghanaian woman and her son were detained at a US airport after arriving for the child’s medical treatment.
She was held after expressing fear of returning to Ghana and indicating intent to seek asylum.
A court later ordered their release, and they returned to Ghana after her asylum request was denied.
A 38-year-old pregnant Ghanaian woman and her 4-year-old son have returned to Ghana after spending more than a week detained at Washington Dulles International Airport in the United States.
Annabella Gyasi travelled to the US on a valid tourist visa with her son for a medical appointment at Akron Children’s Hospital in Ohio, where doctors were expected to assess the child for surgery due to severe deformities affecting his fingers.
The two had reportedly travelled to the US for treatment two years ago, but doctors said the boy was too young for surgery at the time.
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However, instead of boarding their connecting flight to Ohio, Gyasi and her son were stopped by US immigration officers after she reportedly disclosed fears of returning to Ghana and expressed interest in seeking asylum.
Gyasi, a teacher, reportedly told immigration officials that her mother, who is a traditional priest, advised her to end her child’s life after noticing his disability when he was an infant, according to a government transcript of her interview.
That statement led US immigration officials to stop them from entering the country and place them in detention at the airport while authorities reviewed the case.
According to reports by CNN, Gyasi’s legal team alleged she and her son were denied adequate food and medical care during the detention.
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The pregnant woman was reportedly hospitalised twice after suffering dizziness and vaginal bleeding linked to stress and high blood pressure.
US immigration authorities, however, denied allegations of mistreatment, insisting the mother and child received food, medical care and access to basic support during their stay.
US authorities, however, argued that Gyasi’s tourist visa was invalid because she admitted she intended to seek asylum rather than return to Ghana.
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After an immigration judge denied her asylum request, she reportedly agreed to return home, fearing for her pregnancy and her son’s wellbeing.
A federal judge later ordered that Gyasi and her son be released from the airport detention and allowed to immediately return to Ghana.
