Stranded Ghanaians in Russia, Ukraine, others dejected over Embassy's neglect

Some stranded Ghanaians in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Armenia have said they feel dejected by the seeming treatment of neglect by the Ghanaian Embassy in Russia in relation to the government's ongoing evacuation exercise.

According to a group of Ghanaians in the mentioned countries who reached out to GhanaWeb, the Embassy which has oversight responsibility of Ghanaians in Ukraine, Belarus, and Armenia, in early May, posted a notice on its website stating that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration in Ghana was collating data on citizens stranded in the foreign countries for an evacuation.

Owing to the public announcement, they duly furnished the embassy with their details.

Giving further details to GhanaWeb, the group explained that the embassy on May 30, 2020, sent out emails informing those who had heeded to the request that plans were far advanced with regards to the evacuation effort which would be done with certain conditions.

A week after they received the mail, the group said they sent an email to the embassy on June 8, 2020, requesting information on the plans and procedures regarding their evacuation to Ghana.

They subsequently received a response on June 9, 2020, from the embassy stating that there has been no directive from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with respect to the evacuation of Ghanaians from the earlier mentioned countries.

The stranded Ghanaians told GhanaWeb that their continued stay in a foreign country amid the COVID-19 pandemic is taking a toll on them financially and psychologically.

They add that they feel dejected by the embassy seeing government's efforts in making sure that Ghanaians in other countries in Europe, North America, Asia, and Africa are evacuated home with dates issued for the evacuation of those in such continents.