Rome (Italy) - Over 200 Ghanaian passports issued in Rome, Italy, have been seized from non-Ghanaians domiciled in Italy, by the Italian police.
The passports, deposited at the Ghana Embassy in Rome, were seized from Nigerian ladies and a few Ivorians operating as ?call girls? in that country. A source, which disclosed this to the writer said, members of the Italian security forces, who have embarked upon an operation to flush out illegal immigrants, mostly women engaged in prostitution, made the seizures at various locations in the country.
It said almost all the ladies arrested did not have work permits. ?They were only using the Ghanaian passports to deceive the police, and to tarnish the image of Ghanaians,? the source said. The source added that, the security forces, suspecting foul-play, employed a technique to uncover the real identities of the ladies. They have since been deported to their respective countries.
A few Ghanaians that The Spectator spoke to expressed their disgust about the situation and wondered why the ladies did not go in for passports from their countries? embassies also located in Rome. A middle-aged Ghanaian woman, who was fuming upon hearing the new, said, ?this should not be treated as a trivial matter, because the name of our beloved country is at stake.?
?Of late, there have been growing concern among Ghanaian community here, over the attitude of some of the officials at the Ghana Embassy towards Ghanaians who call at their offices for assistance,? another Ghanaian said. ?They prefer to serve others who have not even been to Ghana before,? a frustrated Ghanaian pointed out.
When Charles Adu, Consular Assistant at the Ghana Embassy in Rome was contacted on phone on Friday 3 January, he confirmed that such passports had been deposited at the embassy, but said, ?I cannot give the exact number or give further details since the Consular has travelled.?
Mrs Worwornyo Agyeman, Head of Chancery, for her part, said she did not have the facts ready on the issue since at the time the paper contacted her, she had not been briefed on the matter.
