Only 10 out of 245 Ghanaians from Kuwait are deportees – NPP Middle East Chairman

The Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Middle East branch, Isaac Osae has clarified that not all the 245 Ghanaians who were brought to Ghana from Kuwait on Saturday are deportees as published earlier.

According to him, only 10 out of the 245 were deportees who were ready for deportation before COVID-19 while the rest of them were brought based on an agreement between the Governments of Ghana and Kuwait for the repatriation as a Migrant Amnesty Grant.

“A migrant Amnesty Grant is very different a Deportation. Deportation is the act of deporting a foreigner from a country mainly for acts of illegality against the laws of a country while a Migrant Amnesty Grant is the aid given to a migrant who willingly submits himself/herself for repatriation or a return to his/her country of origin,” the Chairman explained in a statement.

Below is the statement:

*GHANAIANS ARRIVING FROM KUWAIT NOT DEPORTEES*

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Middle East branch has noted with grave concern in regards to a news item going viral on social media about an alleged deportation of about two hundred and forty-five (245) Ghanaians from Kuwait.

The news item published by gOSSIP24, The Report Ghana and other media websites is not factual and lacks some accuracy which needs urgent correction and clarification.

The said 245 Ghanaians are not entirely deportees. In fact out of the 245 Ghanaian migrants of Kuwait arriving in Ghana through the nation’s airport, only ten (10) are deportees and had their documents prepared for deportation even before the COVID-19 brought about the closure of borders of most countries around the world.

The rest of the two hundred and thirty-five (235) who form the majority of Ghanaians arriving from Kuwait, and also forming the main basis for the agreement between the Governments of Ghana and Kuwait for the repatriation is a Migrant Amnesty Grant.

A Migrant Amnesty Grant is very different a Deportation.

Deportation is the act of deporting a foreigner from a country mainly for acts of illegality against the laws of a country while a Migrant Amnesty Grant is the aid given to a migrant who willingly submits himself/herself for repatriation or a return to his/her country of origin.

Such helps granted such migrants under such an Amnesty grant include free documentations and transportation fares.

This is not the first of a grant of amnesty to migrants in Kuwait who willingly want to return to their respective countries, actually, it is a yearly policy by not only Kuwait but also by countries such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and others in the Gulf region of the Middle East, but it is worthy to note that of this year for Ghana forms the largest. More over, per the laws of Kuwait, a deportee is banned from the country for five (5) years, but a migrant granted amnesty can return anytime.

Mostly, such amnesty is granted to migrants who do not or can not renew their permit of stay documents such as work, education and others and would wish to return to their respective countries of origin but do not have the means for its facilitation.

Others are those who find themselves in some midst of insecurity such as health, abuse, threat to life, among others, and would wish to repatriate but have not the means to facilitate it.

Per the above, it would therefore be highly erroneous to label the entire arrivers as deportees while it is only 10 forming four percent (4%) of them who are deportees.

On behalf of all the families of this beneficiary group, the NPP Middle East branch executives would like to first of all extend an appreciation to Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah; King of Kuwait for this huge benevolence to these citizens of Ghana.

Secondly to the executives of NPP Middle East branch for their awareness creation and also moving round to collect details and subsequently filing on behalf of the vulnerable and others whom due to some constraints could not do on their own.

Moreover, H.E Alhaji Ahmed Rufal Yahaya; Ambassador to Kuwait and the Foreign Affairs Minister can not be left out for their immense and dedicated contributions for the facilitation and fruitful conclusion to this negotiation, they were fantastic in their respective roles played.

Lastly, the biggest of the gratitude will go to H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo; President of Ghana for the show of concern during the negotiations and also the easing of the restrictions to allow the stranded Ghanaian emigrants and migrants into the country.

We, the NPP Middle East branch executives are very grateful again for the audience given us for the evacuation of the stranded Ghanaians in Kuwait into Ghana, and we hope that our petition to help with the evacuation of the other Ghanaians from the other Gulf States would be granted same hearing.

Source: Atinka Online