Foreign Ministry investigates allegation of foreigners in possession of Ghanaian passports

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration is investigating allegations of foreign nationals in possession of Ghanaian passports.

A statement issued by the Ministry and copied to the Ghana News Agency said its attention had been drawn to videos circulating on social media, alleging that several foreign nationals residing in the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf States were holding Ghanaian passports.

“The Ministry is investigating the said allegation and would take appropriate measures to deal with the situation if found to be true,” it said.

“It is worth emphasizing that with the current biometric passports being issued by the Passport Office, applicants undergo rigorous vetting processes which make it difficult for unqualified persons, notably foreigners, to acquire Ghanaian passports.”

The statement further pointed out that it was an offence under Ghanaian laws for foreign nationals to acquire Ghanaian passports.

“Indeed, there have been a number of instances where the Ministry, in collaboration with the Ghana Immigration Service and other law enforcement agencies, have apprehended some individuals for attempting to acquire Ghanaian passports.”

Such cases had been successfully prosecuted and appropriate sanctions had been applied to the culprits, the statement said.

The Foreign Ministry, has therefore, assured the public that it would continue to adopt relevant measures in the issuance of Ghanaian passports to uphold and protect the integrity of the travel document.

The statement, however, cautioned against unfounded claims on social media and called on persons with any information concerning foreign nationals in possession of Ghanaian passports to approach the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration for further action.

Source: GNA