Ghanaian Students Stranded in China

About 14 Ghanaian students studying medicine in China risk deportation or imprisonment if immediate action is not taken to raise money to pay their school fees, which guarantees them permit to stay in that country.

Samuel Kwadwo Boateng, President of the National Union of Ghana Students-China (NUGS-China), who raised the alarm in an interview with Public Agenda in Accra last Thursday, however, feared there could be more Ghanaian students in similar situations in China as there are over 500 universities across that country.

He said the attraction of the students, most of them from the deprived and rural parts of the country, to China is based on the promises of guaranteed jobs, low fees and scholarships made by fraudsters who claim to be representing schools in Ghana. "Meanwhile all that they do is to go on the internet to locate the schools and look for prospective victims. What they want is the money rather than satisfying the interest of the students whom they claim to be representing".

Mr Frimpong therefore, warned students and guardians wishing to travel to China for further studies to beware of such unscrupulous agents who seek nothing but money.

He said, according to the immigration laws of China, students are not supposed to work whilst studying. When caught in such an unlawful arrangement, such students face immediate deportation and forfeiture of their education.

He said the students cannot work out visas whilst in China and therefore, warned prospective students to secure all their finances before embarking on such journeys.

Mr Frimpong also raised accusing fingers at officials of Ministry of Foreign Affairs who gave letters to the agent introducing him to the Chinese Embassy.

He said if the officials had done their homework well, this problem would have been averted.

The NUGS-China President said they were recruited by Dr. Alvin Annan, Head of International Students Care. Before embarking on the journey in 2009, each of the students was made to pay several charges amounting to $3000 or more to the agency. However, upon arrival in China country, they were confronted with a different story altogether. Instead of the $2500 per annum school fees quoted by Dr Annan, the actual school fees they were to pay was $4000.

The jobs and scholarships promised them by the agent were also a farce. The immigration conditions of China demand that students are to pay their school fees before being given resident permits. With the little money they had on them they were able to pay the first semester school fees. With the expectation that Dr Annan will work the scholarships and jobs for them they negotiated with the school authorities to grant them some concession to pay the second semester fees later. However, the persistent calls to the agent to come to their aid never yielded positive results. They therefore went into another negotiation with the school which graciously granted them rebates, enabling them to complete the second semester.

A new semester is about to commence but how are these students going to continue their education. Now stranded without money for accommodation, food and school fees and possible deportation or jail, these students are appealing for immediate intervention from the Ghana government, corporate bodies, district and municipal assembles and philanthropists to assist them raise the school fees.

Mr Frimpong gave the assurance that investment in these students will not be in vain as they will certainly return to work in Ghana, especially the rural areas, where the number of doctors is grossly inadequate.

One of the students from Sene in the Brong Ahafo Region, managed to raise money to purchase his ticket home. But his ordeal will not deter him from continuing with his course; he intends raising funds to pay for his school fees. His other purpose is to solicit funds for his friends who are likely to be deported in September, unless funds are quickly raised to pay their fees.

On how he came into contact with the agent, he said a friend brought him down from Sene to Dr Annan whom he claimed could assist him to travel to China to study to become a doctor. "As my little savings could not pay for the money demanded by the agent, I had to fall on friends and family to raise the money. Even the district assembly assisted me," he said.

Mr Frimpong said NUGS-China has reported the matter to the Ghana Embassy in China which has also referred it to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs but his fear is that a new academic year is about to commence in China and other students are likely to fall prey to these agents.

Dr Anna, in a telephone interview with Public Agenda denied the allegations, blaming the students for their own woes.

According to him, the issue is purely about payment of schools fees, which the students before embarking on the journey made everything to indicate that they were capable of meeting their financial obligations until the completion of their studies.

"I helped 36 students in that particular year to study in various universities in China, but why it is that only this 12 are claiming that they are having problems. It is because they made false claims to me that they are capable of paying their fees," he said.

On the allegation of charging the students high processing fees, Dr Annan refuted taking various sums of money from the students. "I am not an agent. What my organization did was to guarantee for these students to facilitate their journey. We are an organization of an international repute and we have assisted several students to realize their dreams of studying abroad and we don't extort monies from them," he stated.

He also blamed the schools for the hikes in the school fees and worst for failing to inform the students and their parents about the increment.

Dr Annan described the predicament of the students as unfortunate, but indicated that the situation could have been helped if the students had come to him directly with the problem instead of going to others. "In spite of these circumstances I am still happy that I helped these students," he said.