Ghana may be facing potential visa restrictions from the United States, following its placement on a U.S. State Department watchlist for excessive student visa overstays.
At a press conference held in Accra yesterday, Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, confirmed that the U.S. has formally raised concerns over Ghana’s 21% student visa overstay rate, well above the U.S. threshold of 15%.
The Minister admitted that the issue has created considerable anxiety, and that report came to all as a surprise.
He added that the Ghanaian government has already initiated high-level diplomatic engagements with U.S. officials to resolve the matter.
Mr. Ablakwa was quick to clarify that Ghana is not being considered for sanctions related to terrorism, extremism, or other national security violations, unlike other countries listed for broader U.S. immigration concerns.
“The engagements, I must say, are going well because U.S. authorities have confirmed that, apart from overstays, all the other troubling matters, including terrorism, do not apply to Ghana. We have been formally notified of 188 Ghanaians on President Trump’s deportation list, and our embassies in New York and Washington have been compliant,” he said.
He also He cited cooperation in processing 188 deportation cases under past U.S. administrations as evidence of Ghana’s diplomatic credibility.
The Ministry believes that Ghana’s issue, which has to do with overstays, is not so severe that it should place the country in the same category as countries sponsoring terrorism or harbouring extremists.
According to figures from U.S. immigration authorities, over 1 in 5 Ghanaian students on visas failed to return home after completing their studies.
Despite the seriousness of the warning, Mr. Ablakwa assured the public that Ghana continues to maintain full compliance with U.S. deportation and immigration protocols.
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Source: Anthony Sasu Ayisadu/ATLFMNEWS
