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Tag: immigration

  • 2,712 Ghanaian students who obtained Canadian visa failed to enroll in universities – Report

    2,712 Ghanaian students who obtained Canadian visa failed to enroll in universities – Report

    A report from Canada’s Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship (IRCC) has disclosed that 2,712 Ghanaian students who entered the country on study visas did not register at their respective institutions.

    The findings, released in January 2025, raise concerns over the growing number of foreign students unaccounted for after arriving in Canada.

    The data indicates that over 50,000 students failed to enroll, with India leading at 19,582 cases, followed by China with 4,279, Nigeria with 3,902, and Ghana placing fourth among the top 20 countries affected.

    The assessment, conducted between March and April 2023, is based on mandatory biannual submissions from Canadian colleges and universities, which report to immigration authorities on whether international students are fulfilling their enrollment obligations, according to The Globe and Mail.

    These reports help track compliance with visa conditions, including active participation in coursework.

    On the other hand, 5,881 Ghanaian students have adhered to their academic commitments, accounting for 67.4% of those expected to be in school. Other African nations with missing students include the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Algeria, and Cameroon.

    The situation has sparked debate over potential exploitation of Canada’s education system and visa policies. Some immigration analysts have proposed requiring foreign students to settle their tuition fees in advance before traveling, arguing that this would close loopholes that allow individuals to misuse study permits for other purposes.

  • EU gives Lebanon 1billion euros in aid amid surge in unlawful immigration

    EU gives Lebanon 1billion euros in aid amid surge in unlawful immigration

    The European Union said on Thursday that they will give 1 billion euros (about US$1. 06 billion) to Lebanon. Some of the money will be used to strengthen border control to stop people from Lebanon coming to Cyprus and Italy.

    The agreement is like other EU aid deals for countries like Egypt, Tunisia, and Mauritania to make their borders stronger. This is happening as more people in Lebanon are not being nice to Syrian refugees, and there are a lot more Syrian refugees leaving Lebanon and going to Cyprus without following the rules.

    Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Union, said in Beirut with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides that the help will begin this year and continue until 2027.

    The majority of the help, which is 736 million euros, will help Syrian refugees and other vulnerable people in Lebanon. Another 200 million euros will go to support Lebanese security services in controlling the borders and migration. These numbers were given by the Cypriot government.

    Some money would be given to fishermen in Lebanon so they don’t sell their boats to smugglers.

    Von der Leyen said the EU will also work on a “better plan to help Syrian refugees go back home” in cooperation with the UN refugee agency. The group will keep providing legal ways for refugees to settle in Europe, she said.

    Lebanon’s temporary Prime Minister Najib Mikati liked the plan and said that if Lebanon is safe, then Europe is safe too. He also said that if the problem gets worse, it won’t just affect Lebanon, but it will also affect Europe.

    Lebanon has been having a really bad financial crisis since 2019. There are almost 780,000 Syrian refugees who are officially registered in Lebanon, and many more who are not officially registered. Lebanon has the most refugees per person in the world.

    Lebanese leaders have been asking other countries for a long time to help the refugees either move to a new country or go back to Syria, even if they don’t want to. Lebanon’s security forces have increased sending Syrians back to their country in the last year.

    More problems started after a leader of the Lebanese Forces party, Pascal Suleiman, was killed last month in what military officials said was a failed car robbery by a group from Syria. The event caused some people to attack Syrians.

    At the same time, officials in Cyprus say too many Syrian people are coming to their country without permission, especially by boat from Lebanon.

    The UNHCR in Lebanon said that they confirmed 59 boats leaving with 3,191 passengers between January and mid-April, compared to only 3 boats with 54 passengers last year. Normally, only a small number of boats try to cross the much more dangerous water in the winter. In 2023, UNHCR saw 65 boats leave with 3,927 people on board.

    Cyprus has a new plan to stop the arrival of migrants. Last month, Cyprus stopped accepting Syrian asylum requests. Human rights groups say the Cypriot coast guard sent back five boats with around 500 asylum seekers from Lebanon. Cypriot officials said that it is not true.

    Bassel al-Shayoukh, a Syrian refugee from Idlib, has been living in Lebanon since 2014. He said his brother and some relatives were on a boat that was sent back. Now he wants to go on the journey by himself.

    “At first, I thought the war in Syria would end in a year or two,” he said. But it continued for a long time. In Lebanon, the same thing happened every year. Things started to get even more bad.

    Shayoukh said he is worried about getting hurt by people who are trying to enforce the law or being sent back to Syria after Lebanese authorities refused to extend his permit to stay in the country.

    His 17-year-old nephew, who didn’t want to say his name because he was afraid for his safety, said the Cypriot coast guard started moving their boat away by making waves. “I was really scared. ” “I can’t swim,” he said. “I believed we were going to be killed. ”

    The people on the boats didn’t have any food or water for three days. Then they went back to Lebanon. The teen said that.

    In Lebanon, the army arrested them; the ones with UNHCR were let go and the rest were sent out of the country.

    Mohammed Sablouh, a lawyer in Lebanon who helps refugees and migrants, says the Lebanese government is ignoring the increase in migration on purpose to put pressure on the rest of the world.

    The Lebanese army didn’t answer when asked about what they’re doing to stop smuggling.

    On Thursday, they announced aid before the yearly fundraising conference for the Syrian crisis in Brussels at the end of the month. After 13 years of fighting, people are tired of donating money while everyone is focused on helping people affected by wars in Ukraine and Gaza.

    The president of Cyprus said that Thursday was a very important day. He asked European officials to make some areas in Syria safe for people to go back to.

    The situation in Lebanon cannot continue like this. It’s not good for Cyprus, and it’s not good for the European Union, Christodoulides said.

    However, some Lebanese officials don’t think that the European aid will fix the problem.

    Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea told The Associated Press this week that European authorities are mainly worried about refugees not going to Europe.

    “We have a problem because we can’t have a lot of Syrian refugees coming to our country illegally,” Geagea said. He wants the Syrians to go back to areas in Syria that are controlled by either the government or opposition.

    But Shayoukh says he doesn’t have anywhere to go.

    The government in Damascus is after him because he is against the Syrian President Bashar Assad. He also said that the Islamist group in his hometown is acting like the government’s intelligence services in silencing people who disagree with them.

  • Immigration is major source of violent crime in United States – Trump

    Immigration is major source of violent crime in United States – Trump

    Donald Trump claims that illegal migrants are contributing to a surge in violent crimes in the US. He is talked about this in his campaign as he fights to become president again. He has said these things before when he ran for president the first time. But research shows that immigrants are not more likely to commit crimes.

    What is Trump talking about regarding immigrants and crime.

    The ex-president, Donald Trump, is running against Joe Biden in the upcoming elections. He wants to make the borders stronger because he thinks immigrants illegally in the US are committing crimes.

    Trump says that Biden’s rules are too lenient and he has called crimes committed by immigrants who are not allowed to be in the country as “Biden migrant crime. ”

    Trump has used mean words to talk about immigrants who are in the US without permission. He called them “animals” when talking about crimes they are accused of. He also said they are “poisoning the blood of our country,” which some people criticized as being mean and sounding like what the Nazis used to say.

    Recently, Trump and Republicans are looking at the case of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student from Georgia who was allegedly killed by someone from Venezuela who was in the country without permission.

    The Republican National Committee made a website called “Biden Bloodbath” that shows stories about migrants in eight US states, including Arizona, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.

    What did Biden do in response.

    During his speech in March, Biden was stopped by Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is a Republican. She wanted Biden to talk about the murder.

    Biden said that Riley was a innocent woman who was killed by someone who wasn’t supposed to be in the country. Then he asked how many people were killed by people who are in the country legally.

    Biden admitted he made a mistake by using the word “illegal” to describe Riley’s accused killer. He said he should have used the word “undocumented” instead.

    Biden’s head border official, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, said last week that he strongly disagrees with trying to make all migrants look bad because of the actions of one person.

    White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said earlier this month that strong language was being used to divide our country.

  • Malawi’s immigration office hit by cyberattack

    Malawi’s immigration office hit by cyberattack

    Malawi stopped giving out passports because their computer system for immigration was attacked by hackers.

    President Chakwera told Members of Parliament that the government department’s targeting was a big threat to national security.

    He said that the hackers wanted money.

    The president said that the government won’t give in to what they want and is trying to fix the problem.

    “We don’t use public money to satisfy criminals, and we don’t negotiate with those who attack our country,” he said on Wednesday.

    Many young people in Malawi want passports because they want to move to other countries for work.

    Mr Chakwera said he told the immigration department to come up with a temporary plan and start giving out passports again within three weeks. This is until they can take charge of the system again.

    He said they would make a more secure plan that lasts a long time.

    For the last two weeks, Malawi has not been giving out passports because of a technical problem.

    Mr Chakwera said for the first time on Wednesday that the immigration system was “hacked,” but he didn’t say who he thought the hackers were.

    There is no other information about the cyber-attack, including how it could affect keeping personal data safe.

    Malawians want to know why it’s taking so long to get their travel document.

    This has happened before in the past few years.

    Last year, the government stopped giving out new documents because they ran out of passport booklets. An official said that the problem was getting worse because there wasn’t enough foreign money.

    There have been problems since 2021 when the attorney-general’s office ended a contract for passports with a company that had been providing the service, saying there were problems.

    Some angry people in Malawi have blamed the government for not processing applications on time and have accused them of being corrupt.

    Right now, if you don’t have a passport or your passport is expired, you can’t get a new one and you can’t travel.

  • Father, son jailed for 15years over New York immigration fraud spanning 7 years

    Father, son jailed for 15years over New York immigration fraud spanning 7 years

    A Ghanaian attorney, Kofi Amankwaa, and his son, Kofi Amankwaa Jnr, who are based in the United States of America, are collectively facing a potential fifteen years in prison for orchestrating an immigration fraud scheme in the U.S.

    Operating a law firm in New York, the duo is accused of defrauding numerous clients over an extended period, as disclosed by prosecutors in the United States.

    Allegedly exploiting their clients, a majority of whom were immigrants seeking legal status in the U.S., Kofi Amankwaa and his son Junior are now under scrutiny for their involvement in what the Department of Justice describes as a “large-scale immigration fraud scheme.”

    U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Kofi Amankwaa, an immigration attorney, and his son, Kofi Amankwaa, Jr., sought to make a mockery of the U.S. immigration system by conspiring to defraud the United States and commit immigration fraud.

    “Amankwaa and his son allegedly exploited the Violence Against Women Act — a law that allows noncitizen victims of domestic abuse a path to lawful permanent residence status — for their own financial gain by falsely claiming that their clients were victims of domestic abuse.

    “Thanks to the dedicated actions of our law enforcement partners and the career prosecutors of this Office, the defendants must now answer for these crimes.”

    Added HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso said: “Kofi Amankwaa is charged with deceitful practices whereby he allegedly victimized clients who relied on his legal assistance with their immigration process. HSI is committed to protecting the applicants, petitioners, and requestors of U.S. citizenship who, unfortunately, are often at risk of falling for scams or fraud.

    “HSI is thankful for the collaboration in this investigation with other Department of Homeland Security components, as well as other federal agencies, who continue to help us combat document and benefit fraud.”

  • I for lef Ghana: The case of evaporating patriotism

    I for lef Ghana: The case of evaporating patriotism

    Patriotism has left the bloodstreams of Ghanaians. Every day on social media, at least five people on my feed type the words ‘I for lef Ghana’ (pidgin for I have to leave Ghana), simply because they don’t see a promising future here. There is very little to believe in, to hope for, to be proud of.

    In 1994, my father booked a ticket from Germany all the way back to Ghana, with his family of three. Everyone thought he was mad – I was just a year shy of getting German citizenship, my sister had just been born, and he was living a comfortable, impactful life, working with the Ecumenical Mission.

    ‘Stay a little longer. At least give the children the option of getting another passport.’

    But his mind had been made up. He left the very week his appointment ended. He wanted to come back home, where kwadaa and kani were easy to find. He wanted to wear his agbada and cloth everywhere, nod his head to the rhythm of highlife music, and contribute his quota to the development of his beloved Ghana.

    For him, Ghana was home.

    You see, he had broken bounds with his fellow Ɔdadeɛ to watch Nkrumah pronounce Ghana as ‘free forever’ in 1957. He had ardently followed the stories of all African leaders who were pushing for an authentically African rebirth. He gave his children authentic names that told the stories of their birth. Patriotism was oozing out of his veins. Daddy unfortunately passed away in 2012, but I can only imagine what he would have thought if he were alive today.

    Today, people take more pride in associating with their tribes or the high schools they attended than the land of our birth. At least, those associations provide some sort of benefit. The same cannot be said for Ghana.

    Every sector – education, health, transport, sports, arts, trade, tourism, and the Godfather of them all, finance – is riddled with a plethora of problems. There are the officials who have blocked the nerve endings of their consciences with corrupt money, a system that stifles and frustrates change, and a people who have reluctantly accepted and adjusted to the status quo.

    Ghana should not be where it is. We have had several pivotal moments in history where people had hope in the future of the country – in recent times, when Mahama took over after Mills’ passing in 2012 because he did not have the burden of pleasing his kingmakers; the Occupy Ghana demonstration in 2014 because a movement of intentional citizens were rising and when Akufo-Addo won the 2016 elections, because the insensitivity of the then Mahama administration.

    Time has shown that each time hope arose, it was deflated as quickly as it sprung up.

    I recently saw a tweet about important first date questions, including how close you are to the national cake. It has become apparent that our leaders, irrespective of the colours of their party flags, are not thinking about the future of the country.

    The focus seems to be on making as much money as soon as possible while in power. The closer you are to the national cake, the bigger the slice you get. Even if you are just a foot soldier, the crumbs will find their way to you.

    This is why the fight to claim or retain power is a fierce one. No government can deny how being in power somehow insulates you from the problems of the ordinary Ghanaian.

    I for lef Ghana.

    We think it every time our cars struggle to claw their way out of potholes deep enough to pass for dams in pitch black darkness, only guided by our headlights and ‘pothole memory’.

    When we turn on the radio and hear politicians defend the indefensible while we and our loved ones bear the brunt of their short-sighted decisions, we shake our heads and mutter it under our breath.

    It crosses the mind of the doctor who has to use the torchlight from his phone to perform surgery.

    The young man, whose salary can no longer support the very basic life he and his wife live, tunes into another YouTube video on how to immigrate to Canada before his first child is born.

    The old woman who has saved and invested all her money in order to have a fairly decent life and pay for her medical check ups has lost all her money, with no remorse or empathy from those who lost it.

    The business owner contemplates closing down a business that is suffocating under the weight of multiple taxes.

    The average person is gradually being priced out of everyday things- a good meal, a cold drink.

    The dreams of working hard to buy a house or piece of land for the average working professional look more and more unrealistic, with every wave of inflation.

    The young professional who wants to enter politics to change the course of the nation is faced with unpalatable choices – work your way up the existing corrupt parties or suffer the heartbreak of watching citizens exchange their votes for a 200 cedi note and three cups of rice.

    The regular citizen who is not interested in politics is even afraid to point out that the barest minimum that any self respecting government provide should not be a campaign point, for fear of being attacked by a legion of loyal foot soldiers.

    The voices of those who constantly speak out are getting dimmer. They are getting tired of speaking to governments that refuse to be accountable to citizens, tired of pointing out the patterns of corruption and double standards, tired of the insensitivity and arrogance of those who can’t feel our suffering. They are tired of fellow citizens whose loyalty is based on tribe, personal benefit and tradition.

    With every passing day, the people of Ghana bury that love under a rubble. They brush away that nudging feeling that the future looks bleak. Feelings of patriotism are no longer invoked when they hear the national anthem.

    Some day soon, everyone who can, go lef Ghana.

    ‘Where are you going?’

    ‘This is your home. There is no place like home.’

    My home wants to kill me. The house is on fire and the people who should be leading the fort to turn off the fire are fascinated by the flames and are dancing to songs of celebration, because somehow power makes our leaders blind, insensitive and obstinate.

    Yen ara asaase ni.

    With every passing day, this feels more like fiction for the ordinary Ghanaian.

    –

    Keni Ribeiro is a storyteller who has chronicled hundreds of Ghanaian experiences in short stories on her award winning blog, http://www.keniribeiro.com.

    DISCLAIMER: Independentghana.com will not be liable for any inaccuracies contained in this article. The views expressed in the article are solely those of the author’s, and do not reflect those of The Independent Ghana

  • Senegal presents strategy to address illegal immigration

    Senegal presents strategy to address illegal immigration

    On Thursday, Senegal unveiled a 10-year plan to address the issue of illegal migration, responding to a recent increase in migrant-related deaths.

    The country’s new National Strategy to Combat Irregular Migration (SNLMI), as declared by Interior Minister Antoine Felix Abdoulaye Diome, aims to “drastically reduce the phenomenon by 2033.”

    Minister Diome stressed the need to intensify their efforts and set new targets to enhance results, while also acknowledging the progress already achieved in countering this “dangerous phenomenon.”

    The SNLMI will concentrate on five key areas: prevention, border management, enforcement measures against traffickers, measures to support and protect migrants, and the return and reintegration of irregular migrants.

    The plan will be funded by both the national budget and external partners, although the total cost of the scheme has not been disclosed by the authorities.

    https://twitter.com/africanews/status/1684638404951015424?s=20

    Deadly migratory route

    The Canary migrant route, an entry port to Europe via the Atlantic Ocean, has experienced an increase in activity in recent weeks, leading to a surge in the number of migrants departing from Africa’s north-western coasts.

    As the number of migrants rises, so does the number of deaths.

    Over the past two weeks, Senegal has witnessed several tragedies. On Monday, 16 migrants lost their lives when their boat sank off Dakar, and on July 12, another boat capsized near Saint-Louis, resulting in the deaths of at least 14 people.

    Morocco’s navy has recently reported rescuing nearly 900 would-be irregular migrants between July 10 and July 17, with the majority of them being from sub-Saharan Africa.

    On July 20, President Macky Sall urged the government to intensify controls in potential departure zones and areas while also implementing extensive surveillance, awareness-raising, and support measures for young people. He emphasized the need to strengthen public programs aimed at combating clandestine emigration.

  • Sir Keir Starmer: Wean economy off immigration, Labour leader warns businesses

    Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has told business leaders that the days of “cheap labour” must end in order to wean the UK off its “immigration dependency.”

    Sir Keir advocated for a strategy to train British workers and transition the economy away from its “low-pay model.”

    He did, however, acknowledge the need for skilled foreign workers and promised a “pragmatic” approach to immigration.

    His speech comes at a time when businesses are urging more migrant workers to help boost economic growth.

    Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer delivered his speech to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) conference in Birmingham on Monday, following Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

    Mr Sunak told business leaders having “proper control of our borders” was one of the immediate benefits of Brexit and said curbing illegal migration was the “country’s number one priority right now”.

    He spoke after CBI director-general Tony Danker said the UK needed more foreign workers to drive economic growth as the country faces a deep recession.

    “People are arguing against immigration – but it’s the only thing that has increased our growth potential since March,” Mr Danker said.

    There was considerably less migration during the Covid-19 pandemic than in previous years and the number of EU citizens moving to the UK has dropped since the UK left the European Union.

    The Office for Budget Responsibility has forecasted a decline in net migration, with the number expected to settle at 205,000 a year from 2026 onwards.

    In his speech, Sir Keir set out what the UK’s immigration policy would look like under a Labour government, should the party win the next general election.

    He promised an immigration system that works better for the needs of business and recognises the need for skilled workers from abroad.

    But he stressed that any changes to a points-based migration system “will come with new conditions for business”.

    “We will expect you to bring forward a clear plan for higher skills and more training, for better pay and conditions, for investment in new technology,” he said.

    “But our common goal must be to help the British economy off its immigration dependency. To start investing more in training up workers who are already here.”

    Sir Keir outlined Labour’s plans for reform including:

    • Ensuring all employers able to sponsor visas are meeting decent standards of pay and conditions
    • Speed up visa delays to avoid labour shortages damaging the economy
    • Introduce training and plans for improving pay and conditions for roles that require international recruitment
    • Reforming the migration advisory committee to project future trends more accurately

    Sir Keir spoke about immigration in an interview with the BBC last week, saying the UK was recruiting too many people from overseas into the NHS.

    Labour’s leader appears to have a genuine belief that this is the best way to build sustainable economic growth.

    Keir Starmer believes, we are told, that there needs to be a fundamental rethink that involves training the domestic workforce rather than relying on immigration.

    But there is a political calculation too.

    Sir Keir wants to persuade the old Labour heartlands which voted for Brexit that he understands some of the concerns about high levels of immigration.

    He also wants to try and convince them he is serious about making Brexit work – without freedom of movement.

    But not everyone in the Labour Party will agree with the tone or the substance of his speech.

    The rise of legal migration to the UK was one of the most prominent political issues in the country ahead of the EU referendum in 2016.

    Former Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron once promised to get immigration down to the tens of thousands a year.

    Net migration – the difference between people coming to the UK and those leaving – has been over 200,000 since the late 1990s.

    Asked how Labour’s policy differed from that of the Conservatives, shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds said his party would demand businesses implement better pay and conditions, particularly in the care sector.

    He also said Labour would introduce flexibility to the apprenticeship levy, so companies could spend the money on other forms of training.

    Under Sir Keir’s leadership, Labour has ruled out a return to the EU single market, which guarantees citizens of member states the freedom to live and work anywhere in the bloc.

    Labour’s policy on Brexit has divided the party, with some calling for a much closer relationship with the EU on different terms.

    Sir Keir’s speech comes as Mr Sunak denied that ministers could look to realign the UK with EU laws.

    Some Tories have been angered by suggestions the government was weighing up a Swiss-style relationship with the EU.

    But the prime minister told the CBI conference on Monday that the UK “will not pursue any relationship with Europe that relies on alignment with EU laws”.

  • Starmer: Immigration not the solution to challenges in NHS

    Sir Keir Starmer has said immigration is not the solution to solving the challenges facing the NHS.

    The Labour leader has said his party will not support open borders and will instead back a “fair” points-based system.

    He hit out at the crises facing the health sector as he accused the UK government of “short-term fixes” and sticking “plasters over problems”.

    Speaking to the BBC, Sir Keir was asked about the numbers he would like to reduce immigration to.

    He said: “What I would like to see is the numbers go down in some areas.

    “I think we are recruiting too many people from overseas in, for example, the health service, but on the other hand if we need high-skilled people in innovation and tech to set up factories, etc, then I would encourage that, so I don’t think there’s an overall number here, some areas will need to go down, other areas will need to go up.”

    Source: Sky News

     

  • US midterm elections: What are the key issues?

    ‘Don’t let Russia starve the world’: Ukraine responds to Russia’s suspension of grain agreements

    As US politicians make their final appeals to voters ahead of critical midterm elections, a wide-reaching and varied set of issues has dominated discussions across the United States.

    Republicans, who are seeking to retake control of Congress from their Democratic Party rivals, are lamenting the state of the economy amid a global financial downturn and a steady rise in the cost of living.

    And Democrats are focusing on abortion rights after the US Supreme Court revoked the constitutional right to the procedure while raising concerns about the future of democracy and fair elections in the country.

    The November 8 election, which will see all the seats in the House of Representatives and more than a third of the Senate up for grabs, will have an enormous influence on the rest of President Joe Biden’s term.

    Here, Al Jazeera examines the major issues at play in this election cycle.

    The economy

    “It’s the economy, stupid.”

    That was the de facto motto of Bill Clinton’s 1992 campaign against incumbent President George HW Bush, who had rallied dozens of countries across the world to beat back Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait. As Bush tried to tout the triumph of the first Gulf War, Clinton shifted the focus to an economic recession at that time and won the presidency.

    Taking a page out of Clinton’s book, this year Republicans have been pushing to make the economy a central issue in the midterm elections, often accusing Biden of seeking to distract from soaring inflation.

    Despite a dip in petrol costs in August, consumer prices went up 8.3 percent compared to the same month last year. While Democrats argue that inflation is linked to global events, such as the war in Ukraine, and coronavirus pandemic-related supply chain issues, Republicans say government spending, which has accelerated under Biden, is to blame.

    “Inflation is crushing Americans, and it’s disproportionately hurting the most vulnerable,” Mehmet Oz, a Republican Senate candidate running in the swing state of Pennsylvania, wrote on Twitter on September 20. “It’s making everyday necessities like groceries cost more. Hurting small businesses. And hitting seniors, many of whom rely on Social Security, when they need every last penny.’

    Abortion

    In contests across the country, Democrats are prioritising abortion rights in their pitch to voters, portraying the elections as a referendum on reproductive rights.

    Since the overturning of the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v Wade ruling in June, many conservative US states passed restrictive abortion laws, including near-total bans.

    In response, Democrats have been trying to pass a federal law to protect the right to abortion, but currently, they do not have the numbers in the Senate, where a legislative procedure known as the filibuster requires 60 votes in the 100-member chamber to pass major legislation.

    With the election looming, Biden and other top Democrats have promised to carve out a filibuster exception if they retain the House and expand their majority in the Senate.

    Most Republican officials argue that abortion regulations should be handled by US states. But Senator Lindsey Graham – who is not up for re-election – recently introduced a federal bill to ban abortions at 15 weeks of pregnancy.

    “This November: Abortion access will be on the ballot. A woman’s freedom will be on the ballot. The future of women’s reproductive rights will be on the ballot,” Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan, who is seeking re-election in New Hampshire, wrote on Twitter on September 17.

    Protesters chant in favour of abortion rights in the US
    Abortion rights became a major campaign issue for Democrats after the US Supreme Court in June revoked the right to the procedure [File: Alyssa Pointer/Reuters]

    Immigration

    With a record number of migrants and asylum seekers crossing the southern border this year, Republicans are turning opposition to Biden’s immigration policies into a political rallying cry ahead of the elections.

    Republicans blame Biden – who reversed some of his predecessors Donald Trump’s anti-immigration policies but has failed to revoke others – for the arrivals, saying his administration is failing to secure the border.

    Most recently, Republican governors in Texas, Arizona, and Florida have captured national headlines by paying to transport migrants to liberal-leaning northern cities in what they say is an effort to share the burden.

    Migrant rights groups, Democratic lawmakers, and the White House have denounced the push as “cruel political theater” meant to curry votes at the expense of asylum seekers. But the Republican governors are sticking by it, while others have pledged to continue some of Trump’s most hardline strategies if elected.

    For example, on his campaign website, Adam Laxalt, a Republican Senate candidate trying to unseat a Democratic incumbent in Nevada, has vowed to “finish the wall” at the southern border.

    Democracy

    Democrats have been sounding the alarm that Trump’s Republican base is growing increasingly authoritarian – or as Biden put it, “semi-fascist” – as the former president is still contesting the 2020 presidential elections based on false allegations of voter fraud.

    Democratic candidates are now arguing that a Republican return to power could fundamentally harm the governing system in the country, especially with the GOP having nominated election deniers to offices up and down the ballot across the country.

    Trump had pressured state legislatures, the US Department of Justice, and his own vice president to overturn the 2020 vote, and as recently as last month, he called to be reinstated as president.

    With Trump likely to seek the White House again in 2024, Democrats say blocking a Republican return to power is needed to safeguard American democracy.

    Earlier this month, Biden warned that Trump’s far-right supporters “represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic”.

    “As I stand here tonight, equality and democracy are under assault. We do ourselves no favour to pretend otherwise,” he said.

     

    Other issues
    • Education: Republicans – wary of discussions about race, sexuality, and gender identity in schools – want more parental control over what children are taught. In his platform, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy vows to “recover lost learning from school closures, and expand parental choice so over a million more students can receive the education their parents know is best”. Democrats dismiss the Republican rhetoric as a push for censorship that especially harms LGBT students.
    • Climate: Democrats, especially those in the progressive wing of the party, say mitigating the climate crisis is one of their most pressing priorities. They are looking to keep control of Congress to expand on recent legislation signed by Biden that incentivises a push towards green energy and electric cars.
    • Public safety: The US saw an uptick in homicides and violent crime in 2020 and 2021 – a trend that conservatives blame on liberals and progressives. Biden had rejected calls to “defund the police” that rose in the wake of the George Floyd racial justice protests in 2020. Still, many Republicans are trying to paint their rivals as enabling crime. “In the US Senate I’ll fight every day to make life in Arizona safe again,” Republican Senate Candidate Blake Masters says on his website.
    • Gun control: With the country regularly witnessing mass shootings, Democrats are pushing for tighter gun restrictions, including an assault weapons ban. At the same time, Republicans are vowing to protect gun access and the Second Amendment of the US Constitution, which grants the right to bear arms.

    Source: Aljazeera.com

     

  • Scabies and overcrowding at immigration center: 100 charities call on home secretary to act

    More than 100 charities have signed an open letter to Home Secretary Suella Braverman, urging her to create a “kind and effective system” for asylum seekers in the UK.

    It comes amid growing concern about the Manston immigration detention centre in Kent, which was discovered to be housing more than twice the number of people it was supposed to.

    This problem has been exacerbated by this weekend’s petrol bomb attack on the Dover Tug Haven asylum site, which has resulted in the transfer of hundreds of people to the Manston processing centre.

    The facility was overwhelmed on Sunday night, with a reported 4,000 being housed there – it was initially intended to house 1,600 to be moved on and processed within 24 hours.

    Home Office minister Robert Jenrick visited Manston yesterday and admitted the situation there was “intolerable“.

    Mrs Braverman has been accused of failing to help solve Manston’s overcrowding problem. It was reported by The Times this weekend that she refused to approve new hotels where asylum seekers could be sent. It was said she ignored legal advice people should be moved.

    On conditions at the site, the Refugee Council said one boy had contracted scabies having stayed at the Manston facility for 19 days in “inhumane” conditions.

    The Home Office confirmed a small outbreak of diphtheria, a contagious bacterial infection that can prove fatal if it goes untreated, at the Kent site earlier in October.

    The letter from charities reads: “Home secretary when you talk of ‘safe and legal routes’, you must be aware that it is impossible to ask refugees to come exclusively through such a path when even Afghan interpreters who are eligible for one of our few existing schemes remain in hiding from the Taliban.

    “When you talk of ‘illegal migrants’, you must be aware that the top nationalities of people making dangerous journeys include Afghanistan, Eritrea, and Syria, and that at least 97% of asylum claims made by people from these countries are successful.

    “When you question the existence of ‘modern slavery’, you must be aware that you are dismantling your own party’s proud and internationally-recognized achievement in protecting the survivors of trafficking.

    “And when you complain about the cost of housing asylum seekers, you must be aware that, while people seeking safety did not choose to leave their homelands, they are willing to work and keen to contribute, if only the law permitted them.

    “You have referred to this country’s proud history of offering sanctuary, so we ask you to make this happen with a fair, kind, and effective system for refugees.

    “Deal with the backlog in asylum cases, create safe routes, respect international law, and the UN convention on refugees, and give refugees a fair hearing, however they get here. Then you would have really done something worth dreaming about.”

    The letter, co-ordinated by charity IMIX and coalition campaign Together With Refugees, was signed by groups such as Choose Love, Christian Aid, City of Sanctuary UK, Doctors of the World, English National Opera, Freedom from Torture, Good Chance Theatre, JCORE, Jesuit Refugee Service, Rainbow Migration, Refugee Action, Refugee Council, Scottish Refugee Council, Safe Passage and Save the Children.

     

     

     

  • Immigration boss slaps Johnnie Hughes and TV3 with GH¢20m defamation lawsuit

    The Comptroller General of the Ghana Immigration Service, Kwame Asuah Takyi has sued the managers of TV3, Media General over some alleged incidents of defamation.

    The suit which makes GH¢20 million demand in damages also named the host of the morning show on the television network, Johnnie Hughes as a co-respondent.

    According to details of the suit published by Dailyguidenetwork.com, the host on the Johnnies Bite, a segment on the show, made statements that were defamatory to the person of the Immigration Service boss.

    “Comptroller General, you were interdicted in 2013. That is what your officers are saying for the same visa fraud and permit malpractices. As of your 2019/2020 since your directive came, you are bringing all those pets to you. The people are begging to ask questions again. What are you up to? Are you doing something again?

    “They say they don’t understand why you have tried to centralise everything when you have made guilty in the past and went on interdiction. Until 2017, you were interdicted five (5) years.

    “The corruption must stop, Takyi must go” the suit repeated some statements said to have been made by the journalist between August 24 and September 23, 2022, on the programme.

    According to the plaintiff, the journalist by his statements described him as a corrupt official who treats his officers unfairly and poorly and as well uses his office to settle personal issues with other officers.

    Kwame Asuah Takyi also averred that the publication by the journalist has caused right thinking persons to believe he has a questionable character and is unfit to fulfil his mandate as Comptroller General. The plaintiff added that the defendant caused right thinking persons to see him as using his office to enrich himself.

    The allegations by the journalist, according to Mr Kwame Asuah Takyi, are false and calculated to dent his image and lower his reputation in the eyes and minds of right thinking members of the public.

    The plaintiff deems the statement by the journalist to be defamatory and has asked as part of his demands that the defendants are ordered by a court to retract and delete the publication from its various media platforms, websites, archives or records.

    He is also demanding an unqualified apology through the same medium where the statements and publications were made against him.

    In addition, the Immigration Service boss is asking for a reward of GHC20 million in damages as well as an order restraining the defendants or assignees from further publication or causing to be published the said words or any other words.

    Watch the latest episode of The Lowdown below:

    The Lowdown: Role of the diaspora in the development of Africa

    CEO of the Aaron Manvel Foundation Millie Lorene Tucker and Gary Hope, the CEO of FLCC – Bring Back Hope Foundation underscore the need for the African diaspora to help develop the continent in this episode of The Lowdown on GhanaWeb TV. According to the women trying to make and create a change in Ghana, our forefathers were sold away and made to develop strange lands. Thus, coming back home and developing their home country is the best thing to do especially when resources are available.

  • How 9 Ghanaians en route to US were rescued in abandoned container in Guatemala

    Police in Guatemala over the weekend confirmed that nine Ghanaians were part of 126 illegal migrants abandoned in a shipping container by suspected human traffickers at the side of a road.

    An October 9 post on their Twitter handle said police acted after a complaint about an abandoned trailer with persons screaming from inside one of its containers reached their offices.

    “Shouts and blows were heard coming from the container, inside it were 126 undocumented people. 109 from Haiti, 11 from Nepal and 9 from Ghana, humanitarian assistance was provided and then they were transferred to the shelters of the Guatemalan Migration Institute,” a translation of their follow-up tweet read.

    Police said they suspected that the group had been abandoned by human smugglers at the 114-kilometer route that leads from Cocales to Nueva Concepción, located in the east of the southern American nation.

    They were loaded in a header C-193BVB, hooked to the TC007CBH van, police added saying that they believed that the group were being moved through Guatemala to Mexico en route to the United States.

    A spokeswoman for the country’s migration body said they believed that the migrants had entered Guatemala from Honduras and will subsequently be returned to authorities in the neighbouring country.

    The BBC quoted a police spokesperson as saying: “We heard cries and knocks coming from inside the container. We opened the doors and found inside 126 undocumented people.”

    A wave of air travels to southern America was recently reported across Muslim-dominated communities in parts of Accra, especially Nima.

    Most of the people who were traveling to Brazil according to reports were aiming to make an onward journey by road from Brazil to the United States.

    It is not the first time that Africans, in general, have been reported to have attempted to go through southern America with an eye on entering the US via its southern borders.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Stakeholders addresses issues of irregular migration

    Ghana Union Hamburg in collaboration with Speech Force Organisation and Partners have held Migration Stakeholders’ Conference 2020 to address challenges of irregular migration in Accra.

    The conference brought together stakeholders to discuss collaborative measures to bridging migration information gaps, unifying effects, in developing and leveraging existing programmes to aid in the reintegration of returnees.

    The event was on the theme:” Collaborating to promote safe Migration and Reintegration.”

    Mr Felix Amoako Boampong, Project Lead at Ghana Union Hamburg, said the conference was also to discuss measures to mitigate stigmatisation of return migrants.

    He said the conference would create a formidable platform for these stakeholders to have conversations on using their respective backgrounds to promote safe migration.

    Mr Amoako said the conference was the crowning event for the Project Myth of a Better Life in Europe (MOBILE) that has been creating awareness on the dangers of Irregular Migration across Europe through bridging the gap in information.

    He said the project exposes Ghanaians to the reality of living in Europe and bridging the knowledge gap in migration information.

    “The project comprises three key programmes including migration seminars, religious leaders conference and the migration stakeholders conference,” he added.

    He said the project has organised 16 seminars with 116 young people participating.

    He said project has Speech Forces Organization, as implementors in Ghana with support from the Centre for International Migration and Development.

    Mr Amoako advised Ghanaians, who have the desire to travel to seek adequate and reliable information to enable them to migrant legally to Europe.

    Mrs Akosua Assa Manu, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of National Youth Authority, said government believes in investing in the young people for national development.

    She said government through the Authority has some programmes that supports young people like the economic and entrepreneurial, governance and Leadership and infrastructure among others.

    She said the Authority has also facilitated various educational programmes that engage young people like the international youth programme and had a collaboration with the UNDP on a project dubbed “Youth Connect Ghana.”

    Mrs Asaa Manu said government was committed in nurturing the skills and potentials in young people for nation-building.

    Madam Paye Sandra Adoma, the Partnerships and Business Development Manager at Speech Forces Organisation said “we create a platform for intellectual discourse which improves creative and critical thinking skills for young people.”

    She said this they do through the organising of debate competitions, public speaking and debate, coaching as well as aiding schools in setting up debate societies and clubs.

    “We promote active citizenship through open discourse on challenging issues which more often than not influences actions of today, appreciation of the past and perspectives on what the future holds,” she added.

    Madam Adoma said they recognize the role of the next generation in shaping society, as such they tailor these programmes to engage as many young people as possible.

    She said her outfit was happy to have worked on this migration project with the Ghana Union Hamburg and Centre for International Migration, adding that for them it was not just any project but rather it was about empowering the next generation of leaders and shaping the narrative of the larger society on what life means in Europe.

    Source: GNA

  • US says international students must leave if classes are online

    The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) branch of the Department of Homeland Security issued new rules for exchange students Monday that could present challenges for universities and schools amid the continuing coronavirus pandemic.

    The “Department of State will not issue visas to students enrolled in schools and/or programs that are fully online for the fall semester nor will U.S. Customs and Border Protection permit these students to enter the United States”, ICE’s highly anticipated new rules said.

    Students already in the US whose programmes have switched to online-only instruction must “depart the country or take other measures, such as transferring to a school with in-person instruction to remain in lawful status”, the rules continued.

    “If not, they may face immigration consequences including, but not limited to, the initiation of removal proceedings.”

    “[S]tudents attending schools adopting a hybrid model – that is, a mixture of online and in-person classes -will be allowed to take more than one class or three credit hours online”, the rules said.

    A 2020 ICE report showed there were 1.55 million active non-immigrant student visas under the Student and Exchange visitor program (SEVP) in 2018.

    About 1.3 million of those students were enrolled in higher education courses at universities. About 85,000 were in grade school, with 92 percent of those in grades 9-12.

    School questions

    President Donald Trump said on Monday that US “schools must open in the fall” – a decision over which he has limited power.

    Schools are largely under the jurisdiction of state and local governments. Educators have struggled with decisions about opening schools considering the risk of infection to both students and staff.

    It was not immediately clear what schools Trump was referring to – primary and high schools or colleges and universities – or what actions he was considering.

    As the coronavirus pandemic sees a renewed surge in the US, many schools and universities are still deciding how they will hold courses next year.

    Harvard University’s first year students will be invited to live on campus this year, while most other undergraduates will be required to learn remotely from home, the Ivy League institution announced on Monday.

    University officials decided to allow only 40 percent of undergraduates on campus in an effort to reduce density and prevent the spread of COVID-19. All freshmen will be invited, along with some other students who face challenges learning from afar.

    All classes will be taught online, however, regardless of where students live. Students living on campus would live in dormitory rooms, but continue taking their classes remotely, the university said.

    Trump also made a series of Twitter posts defending his administration’s response to the pandemic. The US has the highest number of cases and deaths worldwide from the novel coronavirus.

    Source: aljazeera.com

  • Nyive Immigration intercepts smuggled vehicle

    The Nyive Sector Command of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has intercepted an Opel Astra vehicle believed to be smuggled through unapproved routes between Hodzoga – Takla border, near Ho at about 0030 hours on Friday.

    A release signed by Mr Felix Klu-Adjei, Officer-In-Charge of Volta Region Public Affairs Unit of GIS, said Superintendent Justice K. K. Setordjie, the Sector Commander picked up an Intel concerning the illegal cross border syndicated activity and activated alertness of men.

    He said the driver of the smuggled vehicle with a suspicious registration number GG 477 – 14 sped-off on seeing the Immigration Border Patrol Team after entering into Ghana’s jurisdiction from Togo.

    Mr Klu-Adjei said the driver and other occupants then escaped into the adjoining bush abandoning the vehicle at the fringes of Takla town, upon noticing the closeness of the pursuing officials.

    He said the vehicle was towed to the Nyive Command and subsequently handed over to the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority in Ho for the necessary investigations.

    Meanwhile, the Nyive and Shia Sector Commands have since the closure of the country’s borders with its neighbours intercepted five motorbikes at various segments of unapproved routes ostensibly for smuggling in foreigners.

    Deputy Commissioner of Immigration, Mr Peter Nantuo, Volta Regional Commander, commended the Sector Commanders and their officers for the dedication and professionalism to duty and ensuring security at the country’s borders in the wake of COVID 19.

    He thanked the chiefs, opinion leaders, youth groups and the media for their respective roles and collaborations and cautioned against illegal activities at the country’s borders.

    Source: GNA

  • Trump suspends immigration to US to protect jobs of Americans

    President Donald Trump has announced that immigration to the US will be temporarily suspended to protect the jobs of Americans.

    The US President made the announcement on Twitter and he hinged the decision on “the attack from the invisible enemy”.

    Trump tweeted; “In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens, I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States!”

    Though it is still unclear the mechanism President Trump will use to suspend immigration, how long such a suspension could last or what effect this will have on the operation of US border crossings and on those who already hold green cards, the immigration ban generated close to 10,000 reactions less than 25 minutes after the US President tweeted it and it foreshadowed the political fire it will ignite on Tuesday April 19 across the North American country.

    The announcement came after the White House insisted that the worst of the pandemic is over and the country can begin reopening.

    The US has over 787,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and more than 42,000 deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University, which is tracking the pandemic globally.

    Source: Aljazeera

  • Security personnel round up 107 intruders from Burkina Faso, Benin, Togo

    About 107 foreign nationals who entered the country illegally have been arrested by security personnel stationed in the Upper West and Ashanti Regions respectively.

    Seventeen Burkinabes, made up of 11 males and seven females were apprehended at Babele in the Upper West, while 90 Beninese and Togolese made up of 68 males and 22 females were arrested in the Ashanti Region.

    Speaking to the Ghanaian Times on Sunday, the Upper West Regional Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Immigration Control Officer, (ICO) Ibn Yussif Duranah Abdul-Mumin Seidu explained that the 17 Burkinabes were arrested following a tip-off by some community members.

    He said upon receiving the information, the personnel mounted surveillance at all the unapproved routes along the borders in the region.

    The 17 persons aged between 20 and 40 and were on board a bus with registration AF-5603-C headed for Wa, the regional capital when they were intercepted by the personnel.

    The PRO said the preliminary investigation revealed that the migrants, who were smuggled into the region on a motor tricycle with the help of some residents along the route, were headed for Sunyani in the Bono Region.

    He stated that plans were afoot to transport them back to Hamile for the necessary COVID-19 screening and further repatriation to Burkina Faso, adding that, “Due to the influx of the Coronavirus, repatriation exercise would take less time.”

    Mr Seidu stated that although they had logistical constraints as a service, they would still carry out their duties as expected and not renege on their efforts to protect lives of citizens within the country.

    He used the opportunity to appeal to residents living around the border areas to assist the service in protecting the region, adding that they should desist from smuggling people into the country as it would put indigenes at risk.

    In another development, a joint military and GIS patrol team along the Black Volta River in the Wa West District apprehended some unidentified men at Maase and retrieved some weapons from them, although the suspects fled.

    According to ICO Seidu, the items retrieved included a single bar raffle, two AA armour cartridges, a machete and a pack of cigarette, indicating that the suspects upon sighting the personnel dived into the river and fled to Burkina Faso after swimming across the river.

    He said the service would conduct further investigation into the suspects and unravel their mission at the venue, adding that the patrols would continue unabated to ensure the borders were secured.

    However, those arrested in the Ashanti Region were being kept in isolation at the Atonsu Agogo Hospital.

    They were apprehended in an operation led by Staff Sergeant Asamoah Isaac and other military personnel from the headquarters of the Central Command of the Ghana Armed Forces attached to the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly for the lockdown exercise.

    Source: ghanaiantimes.com.gh

  • Locals aiding foreigners to enter Ghana through illegal routes – Immigration service

    The Ghana Immigration Service has disclosed that some Ghanaians are helping foreigners to enter the country through illegal routes.

    At a press briefing today, March 24, the Deputy Comptroller of Immigration (DCGI) in-charge of Command Post and Operations, Mr. Laud Kwesi Affrifah said Ghanaians at the Aflao border are aiding foreigners to enter the country.

    President Akufo-Addo has directed the closure of all borders of the country.

    The President in an address to the nation Saturday evening announced the closure which will take effect from Sunday, March 22.

    President has directed all passengers who will come into the country after the said closure date to be tested for Covid-19 and a mandatory self-quarantine.

    He explained that the closure will not affect cargos and supplies coming into the country.

    The Immigration Service in compliance with the directive closed all borders. According to Mr Laud Kwesi Affrifah Ghana’s borders land, sea and air were closed, a border patrol team was also deployed to sealed all unapproved routes.

    “We have noted especially at the Afloa border stretch various attempts by individuals both foreigners and Ghanaians to enter illegally. They have been intercepted by the border patrol…”

    But he explained that community members along the Afloa border are helping foreigners to enter the country without going through the mandatory self-quarantine and testing for Covid-19

    Source: primenewsghana.com

  • New US visa rules set off ‘panic wave’ in immigrant communities

    After nearly a dozen years moving through the United States visa system, Sai Kyaw’s brother and sister and their families were at the finish line: a final interview before they could leave Myanmar to join him in Massachusetts and work at his restaurant.

    Then a dramatic turn in US immigration policy halted their plans. The interview was postponed, and it is not clear when, or whether, it will be rescheduled.

    “It’s terrible,” Kyaw said. “There’s nothing we can really do except pray. They’ve been waiting 12 years. If they have to wait another 12 years, they will.”

    His is just one of many stories of confusion, sorrow and outrage spreading across some immigrant communities after the announcement of a Trump administration policy that is expected to all but shut down family-based immigration from Myanmar, also known as Burma, as well as Nigeria, Kyrgyzstan and Eritrea.

    The policy also restricts visas from Sudan and Tanzania.

    “There’s a panic wave going through the community,” said Grace Mobosi-Enwensi, president of the Minnesota Institute for Nigerian Development, a nonprofit group.

    In signing a proclamation last month that takes effect on Friday, President Donald Trump said those countries failed to meet minimum security standards. It was his latest crackdown on his signature issue of immigration.

    Calls about the restrictions have flooded legal advocacy groups and lawyers’ offices. A Boston-area Burmese church is trying to intervene to help congregants. The United African Organization has held legal clinics in Chicago to walk people through their options.

    The rules are certain to face legal challenges, but in the meantime, activists have organised around #MuslimBan and #AfricaBan on social media and ramped up lobbying efforts to press Congress to pass the No Ban Act, which would limit the president’s ability to restrict entry to the US.

    No Ban Act

    Roughly 10,000 people received immigration-based visas from Nigeria, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan and Myanmar in the 2018 fiscal year, according to federal data analysed by the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute. More than half were from Nigeria, the most populous African nation.

    The ripple of emotion has been felt strongest among America’s roughly 380,000 Nigerian immigrants and their children. They are one of the most educated immigrant groups. More than 60 percent of people with Nigerian ancestry who are at least 25 have a bachelor’s degree or higher, which is more than twice the general US population rate of 29 percent, according to 2017 census data.

    Tope Aladele, who is seeking a visa for his wife in Nigeria, has faint hope that she will be able to come to the US.

    “I thought this year I could at least celebrate Christmas with her,” said Aladele, a US citizen who works as a nursing assistant in the Chicago area. “I’m just hoping and praying.”

    Citizenship and Immigration Services officials declined to comment on the concerns of affected families, deferring to the Department of Homeland Security. Agency officials did not respond to emails seeking comment.

     

    Unlike previous travel bans, the new rules are narrower. They stop immigrant visas from Nigeria, Eritrea, Myanmar and Kyrgystan, covering people who want to live in the US permanently and are sponsored by family members or employers. They also eliminate participation in a visa lottery programme in which a computer randomly selects up to 55,000 people for visas from underrepresented countries. Sudan and Tanzania will also be barred from the lottery.

    The ban does not affect immigrants travelling to the US for a temporary stay, including tourists and students, or immigrants already in the US. There are also exceptions, including dual citizenship holders.

    In Chicago, the United African Organization hosted dozens of people at legal clinics. Many had questions about their spouses and children. One was Osemeh Otoboh, 46, a Nigerian citizen with a green card who has applied for two of his teenage children from a previous marriage to come to the US.

    Though their visas were recently approved, the suburban Chicago man married to a US citizen was worried. His children live in Lagos, and he wants them to pursue an education in the US.

    “I don’t even know how to explain it to them,” Otoboh said of the restrictions.

    Experts have questioned the administration’s national security reasoning since there are no restrictions on tourist or student visas, which can take less time and vetting to acquire. Officials in at least one country, Nigeria, have said they are working to address security concerns, such as information sharing.

    Activists said the restrictions amount to another travel ban like the one that was widely decried as targeting Muslims. The Supreme Court upheld that ban as lawful in 2018. It restricted travel from several Muslim-majority countries including Iran, Somalia and Syria.

    Sudan and Kyrgyzstan are also majority-Muslim countries. Nigeria, the world’s seventh-most populous nation, has a large Muslim population too.

    “It’s a continuation of this administration’s racist and xenophobic immigration framework that they use,” said Mustafa Jumale, a policy manager for the Black Alliance for Just Immigration.

    Travel ban
    People protest outside of the US Supreme Court after President Trump’s travel ban was upheld by the Supreme Court in Washington, DC

    Muslim Advocates, along with other civil rights organisations in the US, said in a statement issued on Thursday that more than 25 percent of African would be barred from entering the US.

    “America is a nation where people of all races and religions are entitled to equal protection under the law, yet the expanded Muslim Ban is another attack on the rights, the dignity and the identity of Black communities,” the group said in a statement. “[M]ore Black families will needlessly suffer from a policy with no legitimate justification,” according to the statement.

    Some churches have also sprung into action.

    At the Overseas Burmese Christian Fellowship in Boston, Pastor Clifford Maung says he has relayed the concerns of two families in his congregation to national Baptist church leaders and is prepared to appeal to the US government on their behalf.

    “You hope for the best. We grew up under a similar situation in Burma with an oppressive government so this is something we are used to,” he said. “But it shouldn’t happen in America.”

    Maung says one of those affected is his cousin, whose wife has already been approved for a visa and is awaiting medical clearance, which was supposed to come as soon as this week.

    Another affected family is that of S’Tha Sein, who arrived with his wife and youngest daughter in December. The 53-year-old Sein says his eldest daughter was also approved for a visa but tested positive for tuberculosis and was not allowed to travel with them.

    The 21-year-old college student is slated to be reevaluated next month after receiving treatment, but Sein says the new restrictions throw uncertainty into the prolonged immigration process, which the family began in 2006.

    “We’ve been praying that this law will change,” Sein said after attending church services this past Sunday with his family, siblings and elderly parents. “We just want to be able to live together.”

    Source: Aljazeera

  • Re: Immigration Service boss causes accident

    The attention of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has been drawn to publications in the media to the effect that the Comptroller-General of Immigration (CGI), Mr. Kwame Asuah Takyi has caused an accident at Suhum overhead on the Accra to Kumasi highway in the Eastern Region.

    To set the record straight, the CGI, who was returning from a working tour of the Bono East Regional Immigration Command, later in the evening, on Sunday, the 9th of February, 2020, has not been involved in an accident or caused any, as been purported.

    It was rather one vehicle and that of the CGI that was being trailed for over an hour by a private vehicle. All attempts by the dispatch rider to stop the said private vehicle, failed until they got to Suhum. The dispatch rider and vehicle of the CGI were caught in between by the private vehicle which posed a security risk.

    At Suhum, at the roundabout of the overhead, the dispatch rider stopped the said private vehicle this time around. The bodyguard of the CGI alighted, took the registration number of the vehicle and rejoined the CGI and his team to continue with the journey where a complaint was lodged with the Police Officers on duty at the Doboro Police Barrier.

    It was after this exercise that the CGI and his team continued with their journey back to Accra only to hear that an accident had occurred at Suhum with two persons injured and hospitalized.

    Our checks indicates that indeed there was an accident at the same spot where the CGI and his team stopped the private vehicle, but that was after they had left.

    We wish to implore all media houses to contact the Public Affairs Department of the GIS for confirmation of information in their custody before publishing them.

    Lastly, we wish to reiterate that the CGI has not caused any accident, and the story as published by the media is incorrect and should be disregarded.

    SGD.

    SUPT. MICHAEL AMOAKO-ATTA

    HEAD OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

    Tel: 0555027024

    Email: mikesbridge2020@yahoo.com

    Source: Ghana Immigration Service

  • Ghana becoming haven for foreign criminals – Immigration boss laments

    The Deputy Comptroller of Immigration (DCGI) in-charge of Command Post and Operations is worried that migrant crime in the country is on the ascendancy.

    Laud Kwesi Affrifah says Ghana is on the verge of becoming a criminal haven for foreigners and is, therefore, urging officers of the Services to “sit up and make our country safer.”

    He made the statement in an interaction with officers of the GIS who are currently undergoing counter-terrorism training in Huhunya in the Eastern Region.

    Read: Over 300 suspected criminals arrested at Madina in dawn swoop

    The visit, under the directive of the Comptroller-General of Immigration, was to find out how the officers were faring and to also boost their morale.

    Mr Affrifah said the face of security in the country has changed requiring a joint and collaborative effort of all state security institutions.

    “The concept is a joint security approach,” he said.

    He explained that with the joint security approach, the mandate of GIS is not only to manage migration in the country but also contribute to national security.

    According to him, Services would lead in patrolling the borders of Ghana with the support of the Ghana Police Service and Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) as well as the military.

    “Similarly, when it comes to internal control which is led by the Ghana Police Service, it will be supported by the Military and also the Ghana Immigration Service,” he added.

    The DCGI further explained that the support and collaboration which was a part of a national border security strategy under the Security Governance Initiative (SGI) had the border security, cyber fraud and maritime components.

    Commander of the Counter-Terrorism Enactment and Concentration Camp, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Raymond Adofiem, explained that the training programme had been tailored and simulated to meet the exigencies of the time and the happenings at the various entry points of the country.

    “The settings we have here are somewhat similar to that of what we have at the borders,” he added.

    Read: Buduburam chief hails swoop by police; calls for more

    “Two days ago, the Officers underwent a simulated exercise on how to access and combat activities of terrorists and other cross border crimes at the Elubo, Paga and Aflao borders,” he noted.

    He indicated that the Officers were fit and ready to tackle head-on crimes and its related activities. “They have been imbued with absolute discipline and if they should misbehave, it is not the men but it is the command,” he stressed.

    The DCGI was accompanied by the Head of Border Management Department, Commissioner Isaac Owusu Mensah, Head of Border Patrol Unit (BPU), Chief Supt. Joshua Kreku, Deputy Head of Training, Chief Supt. Daniel Debrah, Head of Public Affairs, Supt. Michael Amoako-Atta and Supt. Esther Hogan of the BPU.

    The purpose of this first-ever training is to enhance the combat fitness, shooting skills, willpower and speed among others of Officers who would form the nucleus of the newly created Rapid Response Unit.

     

    Source: Myjoyonline.com

  • 11 persons convicted for immigration offences

    The Court has convicted and sentenced 11 persons prosecuted by the Ghana Immigration Service for various immigration-related offences in the country for the first half of 2019.

    The offences include; illegal stay in the country, possessing and attempting to use forged document, restricting and obstructing an Immigration Officer, and attempting to obtain Ghanaian passport by false declaration.

    The convicted persons are Ehikoya Israel Eigbibhahu, Achioneg Amos, Fortunatus Chibuike Opara, and Patrick Obinna Ennu. The others are, Prince Boateng, Kwasi Buami, Akanmu Dayo Jegede and Simon Baziri. The rest are Victor Itobiye, Achioneg Amos also known as Amos Kotei, Sonnia Ezeike and Ades Favour also known as Adesukan Michael Adeyemi.

    Ehikoya Israel Eigbibhahu and Achioneg Amos were sentenced to a total of nine months in prison with hard labour, and additional 45 penalty units fine for Achioneg Amos.

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    They pleaded guilty for possessing Ghanaian Passport by false declaration and forged academic degrees from the University of Cape Coast and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology as well as living in the country illegally. Ehikoya Israel Eigbibhahu would serve three months whiles Achioneg Amos will serve six months in prison.

    Fortunatus Chibuike Opara who pleaded guilty for attacking and obstructing an Immigration Officer in the line of duty at Kasoa in the Central Region and for entering and staying in the country illegally was sentenced to a fine of 450 penalty units on each count and was removed from the country after payment.

    Patrick Obinna Ennu and Akanmu Dayo Jegede were slapped with a sentence of six months in prison with hard labour for possessing a forged South African passport and a forged Italian Residence Permit Card, respectively, and for attempting to use these documents to travel.

    Prince Boateng, Kwasi Buami, Simon Baziri, Ades Favor and Sonnia Ezeike were sentenced to six months in prison each with hard labour and a total fine of 1,135 penalty units for obtaining travel documents by false declarations and for possessing and using these forged documents for various transactions.

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    These include; obtaining a Hungarian Visa with fake birth certificate, acquiring Spanish Visa with fake Stanbic Bank Statement, traveling on forged Sierra Leonean Passport, obtaining a Ghanaian Passport with fake birth certificate and traveling on a forged Ghanaian Passport.

    Victor Itobiye was sentenced to one month in prison with hard labour for attempting to acquire a Ghanaian Passport by false declaration.

    Among the convicted persons were three Ghanaians, seven Nigerians and one Cameroonian. The non-Ghanaians would be removed from the country after serving their sentence and paying their fines.

    The GIS admonishes all non-Ghanaians to desist from obtaining Ghanaian Passport, Birth Certificate and any other identity document of the country by false declaration. It is an offence, punishable by the laws of the country to indulge in such acts.

    It further wishes to urge all foreign nationals in the country to be law-abiding.

    Source: Ghana Immigration Service