The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway has disclosed that Ghana has so far evacuated 856 stranded Ghanaians back to Ghana.
The Minister made the disclosure on Tuesday, June 16, 2020, at a media briefing organised by the Information Ministry.
Mrs. Ayorkor Botchway in answering a question on how many stranded Ghanaians have been evacuated so far due to the Coronavirus-induced border closures and challenges said, “So far 856 Ghanaians have been assisted to come back home.”
The Minister also said some Ghanaians who travelled to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to seek greener pastures but became stranded are also being evacuated.
According to the Minister, the first batch has arrived and the other batch is currently en route to Ghana.
“The people in Dubai were part of those brought back and another group are on their way as we speak. They are people who were found loitering because of the circumstances of how they live. In such places as Dubai, many of them worked as artisans, maidservants, or domestic workers. They live in dormitories and work in hotels as well and once your employers lose their job, they kick you out and those in such countries were kicked out so they were living anyhow,” she disclosed.
Recently, some 245 Ghanaians who were deported from Kuwait were allowed into the country by the Government of Ghana.
The deportees arrived via a chartered flight on Saturday, May 23, 2020.
Meanwhile, 35 of the 245 Ghanaian returnees from Kuwait have tested positive for COVID-19.
Ghana’s borders still closed but stranded Ghanaians abroad to be evacuated
Ghana’s President, Nana Akufo-Addo earlier indicated that his government has put in place measures to evacuate Ghanaians who have been stranded abroad due to the border closure.
He disclosed that the individuals who will be evacuated will be made to undergo mandatory quarantine and other safety protocols.
“Our border, by air, land, and sea, remains closed until further notice for human traffic. However, given that there are Ghana residents stranded abroad, a special dispensation is going to be given for their evacuation back to Ghana, where they will be subjected to the mandatory quarantine and safety protocols,” he said.