3000 Ghanaians deported in 2013

Nearly 3,000 Ghanaians were deported to Ghana from various countries around the world in 2013. An additional 140 Ghanaians were mass deported within the same period.

Data from the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) revealed that as many as 2,940 Ghanaians were deported to Ghana last year while the number of Ghanaians who were refused entry into the various countries they were travelling to at airports amounted to 676.

The United Kingdom tops the list of European countries while Libya deported the highest number of Ghanaians.

The deportees came from several countries such as Germany, Holland, Canada, United States of America (USA), Spain and Saudi Arabia.

Head of Public Affairs of the Ghana Immigration Service, Assistant Comptroller of Immigration (ACOI), Francis Palmdeti, told The Finder that illegal stay and overstay constitute the main reasons for the deportations.

According to the data, a total of 237 Ghanaians were voluntarily repatriated from various countries to Ghana last year.

The GIS information also indicate that 179 people who hid aboard ships (stowaways) in order to obtain free passage into other countries were also arrested and deported to Ghana.

ACOI Palmdeti emphasised that Libya continues to deport Ghanaians on commercial flights, hence the huge number of deportees for the year under review.

He advised Ghanaians to use legal channels to acquire proper travelling documents to avoid maltreatment in destination countries.

ACOI Palmdeti said migrants with falsified documents and doubtful status, coupled with fear of authorities, usually endure unfair treatment and hostilities in destination countries.

He assured that GIS was committed to ensure Ghanaians travel with proper documents and use legal channels to their destinations.

ACOI Palmdeti, therefore, encouraged the public to obtain valid travelling documents to enhance free movement of persons across the globe.

He appealed to all prospective travellers to contact GIS for the necessary information on their trips and ascertain whether their documents are genuine because undocumented migrants faced extreme forms of exploitation and hostilities in destination countries.