Back to Africa! Barbados Government to send home Ghanaians.

Over the past few days it has become quite obvious that these Africans came here under false pretenses. Considering the circumstances, the Barbados government is doing the right thing in getting them out of Barbados. The Ghanaians and the Ghanaian government only have themselves to blame.

It is right for Barbados to have ties with Africa, and especially with Ghana and West Africa, but we must have clean and wholesome ties. We cannot allow anyone to use Barbados as a transit route for illegal immigrants trying to escape from their own countries and get to the USA. Barbadian and Ghanaian relations, if we are to have any at all, must be on the basis of mutual co-operation and mutual benefit. Do not come here trying to scam, defraud or deceive us.

Bajan Free Press

http://www.nationnews.com/story/303809734678703.php

BACK TO AFRICA

Published on: 3/10/08.

MORE THAN 50 GHANAIANS stranded in Barbados for almost a month should be back in their West African homeland this time next week.

An informed Government source revealed yesterday that a decision has been made to pay for a flight to get the stranded West Africans back home, possibly via Brazil or Britain.

“All airlines are required to pay a bond for each passenger that arrives in Barbados, so if Government has to foot the bill, then that money will have to be recovered,” the source indicated.

Sixty-six Ghanaians and 30 Nigerians came to Barbados on the direct inaugural flight last month, but the Ghana Airways charter flight was unable to return to Barbados.

Some of the visitors on that inaugural flight went on to Trinidad and St Lucia.

After the failure of the return flight, some of the West Africans started working on a construction site in Christ Church to earn money for their keep. Since then, a number of kind Samaritans have offered money and personal items to help the stranded group.

The Government source informed the DAILY NATION yesterday that it would reclaim monies via the bond Ghana International Airways, like other airlines, would have had to put up before touching down at Grantley Adams International Airport.

When contacted, Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, and International Business, Donville Inniss, said the matter was “under active consideration”, but could not make a more definitive statement at this time regarding the Africans’ future.

He added that the ministry was in contact with the Ghanaian Embassy in Havana, Cuba, and hoped to have “further discussions with them early this week with a view of resolving this matter quickly”.

Inniss also said the ministry had contacted the Ghanaian government and was awaiting a response from it, which it hoped to get early this week, before taking the next step.

It is understood several Government agencies and organisations are involved and have met more than once to review the matter. The source said Government was “very concerned” about the issue and was taking all steps necessary to resolve it by returning the people to their countries.

Efforts yesterday to reach Ghana’s Honorary Counsel in Barbados, Dr Erskine Simmons, for a comment were futile. (BA/DS)