COVID-19: We’ll cater for Ghanaians stranded abroad – Foreign Affairs Ministry

Ghanaians who are stranded abroad following border restrictions imposed in the country will soon receive assistance from the government.

This is according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which says it is frantically putting in place measures to ensure that such an agenda is executed.

This comes on the back of calls for Ghanaian citizens stranded abroad to be evacuated.

A deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, Charles Owiredu in an interview on Eyewitness News said the President, Nana Akufo-Addo has already engaged all ambassadors on the issue.

He said the Ghanaians diplomats have been directed to put together data on all Ghanaians who are stuck abroad for some action to be taken.

Mr. Owiredu noted that whatever decision that government will arrive at will be influenced by the available information on the spread of the COVID-19.

“We’ve received some requests and calls from some Ghanaians in the UK, US and in other countries [for evacuations to be done]. Like I said, based on the earlier discussions the President had with the ambassadors, they are supposed to furnish us with data of stuck Ghanaians who find themselves in such situations. [Whatever decision will be taken], we’ll be led by the science,” he said.

Many Ghanaians who travelled outside the country for various endeavours and were due to return home from February 2020 but could not do so due to COVID-19 induced air travel restrictions of various countries have been calling for their evacuation.

Ghana is yet to evacuate any of its citizens abroad but countries such as the US and UK have been evacuating their citizens from various countries including Ghana where thousands of foreigners have been airlifted back home due to the spread of COVID-19.

Evacuate Ghanaians abroad

The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu at a press conference on Thursday called on the government of Ghana to evacuate Ghanaians stranded abroad.

“Many other countries are evacuating their citizens. India has done it, South Africa has done, UK has done it. It is our considered view that just as our government is able to open our airports despite the closures for foreign nationals to be evacuated, the government should do same by providing a narrow opportunity under strict evacuation protocols of screening, testing and quarantining when necessary in order to secure the safety of Ghanaians abroad.”

This is the second wave of calls for Ghanaian citizens abroad to be evacuated.

The first call which had to do with Ghanaian students in China intensified when the virus was fast-spreading in some parts of China.