Spain To Stop Repatriating non-Ghanaian Illegal Immigrants to Ghana

Ghana and Spain are putting in place procedures to ensure that non-Ghanaian immigrants living illegally in Spain are not repatriated to Ghana. Spain has also agreed to support Ghana to build capacities in the health education, trade and water sectors.

This was made known by Mr Fernando Jose Corral Suarez, Spain's Ambassador to Ghana, who was at the head of a nine-member Spanish delegation that held bilateral talks with their Ghanaian counterparts.

The bilateral talks were aimed at strengthening economic, consular technical and cultural relations between both countries. The delegation was made up of officials from the Spanish Foreign Affairs and Interior ministries, as well as development agencies.

The talks followed President John Agyekum Kufuor's visit to Spain in May and October last year where he held bilateral talks with the Spanish government to review economic ties between Ghana and Spain.

Mr. Suarez said his country was also looking at other areas of co-operation but had identified tourism and education as potentials that could be exploited to enhance relations between both countries.

Mr. Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, Minister of Foreign Affairs, who received the delegation, said the government of Ghana realised the potential economic benefits that could be achieved and set up a Mission in Spain for the mutual benefit of both countries.

He told the delegation that a lot of opportunities exist for investment in Ghana because of the relative stability of the country. The Minister said Spain could import finished and semi-finished products from Ghana and set up industries to process the country(quote)s raw materials into finished products.