Government to evacuate 431 Ghanaians in UAE
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration says it has begun engaging authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to evacuate some 431 stranded Ghanaians.
In a press release, the ministry stated that most of the stranded Ghanaians currently in detention at the Al Tawadi Medical Centre and the Immigration Centre were misled by agents who promised unavailable jobs in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates.
The agents have, however, abandoned these persons, making them easy targets for arrest and detention by law enforcement agencies in the UAE.
The stranded Ghanaians are made up of Three Hundred and Forty-one (341) males, eighty-eight (88) females and two (2) children below age three.
The ministry is cautioning persons who wish to travel to do so through the appropriate authorities.
“Even though our stranded compatriots went to the UAE on their own, the government of Ghana is making necessary efforts in collaboration with the UAE authorities to effect the evacuation of our stranded nationals.
“The Ministry wishes to seize this opportunity to caution some prospective travellers of the Golf region to be mindful of nefarious activities by unscrupulous agents.”
Below is the full statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Ministry’s attention has been drawn to the detention of some Ghanaian nationals in Dubai at the Al Tawadi Medical Centre and the Immigration Centre.
According to the report, there were Four hundred and thirty-one (431) Ghanaians, comprising Three Hundred and Forty-one (341) males, eighty-eight (88) females and two (2) children below the ages of three at the medical centre. As well as an unspecified number of African Migrants.
In the wake of the above development officers from our Consulate-General in Dubai visited our stranded compatriots at the detention centre and extended proximity consular assistance to them.
From our investigations it can be confirmed that most of our stranded compatriots were misled by unscrupulous agents who promised unavailable jobs in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates, the agents were paid significant sums to facilitate the entry of the prospective travellers into the UAE.
They only discovered that the jobs they were promised were nonexistent. This development of non-availability of job opportunities in Dubai has often placed our compatriots in a precarious condition making them vulnerable and easy targets for arrest and detention by the law enforcement agencies in the UAE.
In this circumstance, the Ghana Consulate-General is in touch with the host officials on the matter for the protection of the welfare of our compatriots at the detention centres.
Even though our stranded compatriots went to the UAE on their own volition, the Government of Ghana is making necessary efforts in collaboration with the UAE authorities to effect the evacuation of our stranded nationals back to Ghana.
The Ministry wishes to seize this opportunity to caution prospective travellers to the Gulf Region to be mindful of the nefarious activities of unscrupulous agents.
In the meantime, however, the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of National Security are taking urgent action to deal with the activities of unnegotiated Travel Agencies.