Over 400 Detained Ghanaians In Dubai Repatriated
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has said more than four hundred stranded Ghanaians in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have been repatriated home.
The said Ghanaians were reportedly detained at the Al Tawadi Medical Centre in Dubai.
Three months ago, the Ministry said the detainees numbered 431 including 341 males, 88 females and 2 children, however, in an update, it said more than 450 Ghanaian nationals have been brought back.
Their repatriation, the Ministry said, was sponsored by Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment and Mr Abdul Razak Daheer, a friend of the government of Ghana.
“The recent evacuations involved eighty (80) of our compatriots with the assistance of Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment in Dubai between September 24th and 27th October 2022 via Ethiopia Airlines.
“Additionally, 20 Ghanaians were evacuated with the support of an individual and friend of the government of Ghana, Mr Abdul Razak Daheer in September 2022, on board Egypt Air.”
In August, while announcing the Ministry’s efforts to bring back the detained nationals from Dubai, it said, “Officers from our Consulate-General in Dubai visited the stranded compatriots at the detention centre and extended proximity consular assistance to them.”
It also noted that the Consulate-General was collaborating with the host officials to safeguard the rights of the stranded and detained Ghanaians at the detention centre.
The Ministry’s investigations confirmed that most of the stranded compatriots were misled by unscrupulous agents who promised them unavailable jobs in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates.
A report by Citi news showcased African nationals including Ghanaians rendered homeless in the UAE.
These nationals had made a park their homes.
In an interview one of them blamed the economic hardship in Ghana for his decision to seek greener pastures abroad.
“You know the current state of Ghana. Life is difficult in our country and so we decided to travel to find a job. When I came I realized it is not as propagated. You will need an agent to find a job.”
Even with their only option to sleep in the outskirt in the open air without a roof, another said they had no peace of mind.
“We risk being arrested here” by police patrol teams.
Another recounted how his expectations were crushed upon arrival.
“An agent took ¢6000 to bring me here. We were told there’s an available job for us. When we arrived, they introduced us to a construction job but for a month we weren’t getting our wages.”
Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini
