346 Ghanaians deported from Europe, 1st three months

Story: Fauziatu Adam

THREE hundred and forty six Ghanaians with ages ranging from 20 and 40 were recorded by  the Ghana Immigration Service for the first three months of this year to have been deported  from other countries for illegally entering those countries.

A total of 17,565 Ghanaians were also recorded to have been evacuated from Libya this year due to the crisis that escalated in that country early this year.

The Assistant Controller of Immigration (ACOI), Mrs Belinda Adwoa Sika Anim disclosed this to the Daily Graphic  after a sensitisation workshop at Kinbu Secondary School to sensitise students about the dangers of illegal migration to other country.

She said there was a pressure on the North African countries to clamp down on irregular migration occurring over their territory through increased border controls, toughening migration laws, readmitting irregular migrants from Europe and deporting others from their territory.

She lamented about  the swelling masses of Ghanaians who flee from poverty to try to enter Europe illegally at an alarming rate.

She said that irregular migration issue had been put high on the Policy Agenda of the European Union and its member states.

The ACOI mentioned the effects of irregular migration  as fatalities in the desert  and the Mediterranean,  poor living conditions for illegal immigrants, under employed and overworked in dirty, dangerous and difficult jobs.

Mr Belinda said the reason why  they were targeting the schools was that many of the students fall victims of illegal migration and they record the highest number anytime any Ghanaian was deported back to the country.

She observed that people who went travelled through the dessert did not tell the real stories whenever they come back to the country.

She said the immigration service has targeted all the senior secondary schools in the country to sensitise them about the need to stay in the country after their education.

The workshop included a drama about four students who left the shores of their country for greener pastures and some of them died due to snake bites while others were arrested and sent to prison and later deported to their country.