United States Embassy, Ghana
The recent visa ban imposed by the United States on some categories of Ghana government officials has not gone down well with the Ghanaian government.
The government has expressed regrets about the decision of the US government to place visa sanctions on the country.
On Friday, February1, 2019, the US authorities announced that beginning today, February 4, 2019, it will discontinue issuing all non-immigrant visas (NIV) to domestic employees of (A3 and G5) of Ghanaians diplomats posted to the United States following Ghana’s refusal to cooperate on the deportations of some nationals.
The US Embassy in Accra said A3 and G5 visa applications will be processed, but no visas in these categories will be issued while these restrictions remain in effect.
According to the statement, the application will remain, pending the lifting of the visa restrictions.
The embassy indicated that in addition, consular officers will limit the validity period and number of entries on new tourists and business visas (B1, B2, and B1/B2) for all Ghanaian executive and legislature branch employees, their spouses, and their children under 21 to one-month, single entry visa.
There will also be limits on the validity and number of entries on new tourists and business visas for all Ghanaians and executive and legislative branch employees to one-month and single-entry visas.
US Ambassador to Ghana, Stephanie S. Sullivan, told journalists in Accra last Friday that Ghana has allegedly failed to cooperate with US authorities in ensuring the deportations of some 7,000 Ghanaians from the US since 2016.
No Justification
But the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Regional Integration, in a statement issued on Saturday, said the allegations by the US authorities “are unfounded and the sanctions imposed on Ghana are without any justification whatsoever.”
According to the statement, the Ghanaian government through the Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Ministry “has always cooperated with the US authorities in the processing and removal of Ghanaian citizens who have been cited for deportations from the US to Ghana.”
It said, “As is the requirement and in accordance with international law, the Ghana Embassy in Washington DC undertakes identification and verification processes to ensure that all persons earmarked for deportation to Ghana are bonafide citizens of Ghana.”
The US Ambassador has, however, raised concern about ensuring that those earmarked are Ghanaian citizens, as she believes Ghana should be responsible for those who possess its passport and claim to be its nationals.
But government, in a counterargument, said “All countries undertake these processes to accept their deported citizens from all over the world and it is not peculiar to Ghana and the US.”
The identification and verification mechanism has stipulated timelines and procedures which are communicated to the deporting authorities at all times.
“It should be noted that as at 8th January, 2019, our Washington Mission had received 28 applications from the US authorities, out of which 19 had been interviewed by the Embassy and 11 traveling certificates issued for travel to Ghana. Those outstanding are as a result of doubts on their Ghanaian nationality, ill health and pending litigation in US Courts,” the ministry indicated.
BY Melvin Tarlue