Over 200 Ghanaians to be deported from Kuwait – Information Minister

Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has announced plans by government of Ghana to receive some 245 Ghanaians who have been deported from Kuwait for residing without appropriate legal documentation.

Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said the deportees in question are scheduled to arrive in Ghana on Saturday, May 23, 2020.

Speaking at an emergency press briefing Friday, May 22, 2020, he said, “a specific decision has been made and I’m under instruction to announce that to you. The government of Kuwait has informed the government of Ghana of an intention to deport some 245 Ghanaians who are currently in Kuwait illegally…”

According to him, though this flies in the face of measures taken to restrict movement of persons across the borders, it is a diplomatic decision taken by the Western Asian country as part of their efforts to tighten their fight against the scourge of the Novel Coronavirus.

Per the demands of the existing global conditions, Mr Oppong Nkrumah said the deportees upon their arrival will undergo mandatory quarantine and subsequently tested for a possible sign of the coronavirus.

This will be adequately enforced by the military and police with government bearing the full cost, he announced.

With regards to their status on arrival, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah emphasized that the 245 persons will maintain their ‘deportee statuses, therefore all laws concerning people of the said status will be applied accordingly.

In the same breath, the Information Minister was quick to caution that deportation does not mean government has begun full evacuation of Ghanaians abroad who are requesting to be brought home.

Meanwhile, details about gender splits and other necessary data about the deportees will be made available in due course.

The government, as part of stringent measures to curb the spread of the virus, closed the country’s borders – making it impossible for nationals who had travelled to return. The country’s air, land and sea borders were closed to prevent the importation of the novel coronavirus.