Minister of foreign affairs and regional integration, Shirley Ayokor Botchway says her outfit has so far been working on recent sanctions by the United States of America (USA) on VISA acquisitions by Ghanaian parliamentarians, ministers and other diplomatic personalities together with their immediate families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The minister also stated that these restrictions\nwere as a result of some seven thousand Ghanaians illegal migrants who have\nbeen arrested by the immigration of the United States and are seeking concerns\nof leadership of Ghana to bring them back to their country of origin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She however gave clarification that the Visa\nrestrictions do not affect all Ghanaians but members of parliament together\nwith their immediate families, ministers as well as diplomatic personalities\ntogether with immediate families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking to some members of the parliamentary\npress corps on Wednesday February 13,2019, the minister however was of the view\nthat the United States could have taken into consideration the collaboration\nbetween the two countries and channeled their decisions accordingly. She also\nstated that her outfit has not fully been furnished with names of affected\npersons has advertised by the United States of America. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00a0 BACKGROUND<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The United States of America on Friday February 1, 2019 released a statement stating that Ghana may be laden with further sanctions if government does not begin to collaborate to receive its citizens marked for deportation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00a0\u2018Ghana has failed to live up to its obligations under the international law to accept the return of its nationals removed from the United States\u2019. Secretary of homeland security Kristjen Nielsen in a statement said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It also said \u2018pursuant to her authority under section 243(d) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), Kristjen Nielsen notified secretary of state Mike Pompeo that Ghana\u2019s government has denied or unreasonably delayed accepting their nationals ordered removed from the united states. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, state\u2019s secretary Pomeo has ordered consular officers in Ghana to implement Visa restrictions on certain categories of visa applicants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018Without an appropriate response from Ghana, the scope of these sanctions may be expanded to a wider population. The\u00a0 sanctions will remain in place until the secretary of homeland security notifies secretary Pompeo that cooperation on removals has improved to an acceptable level\u2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n By: THERESA ADEZEWA AYITTEY <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"