New UK Immigration policy is racist- Ade Coker

Greater Accra Region Chairman of the governing National Democratic Congress has described as “racist” the controversial UK Immigration policy requiring high-risk residents of some countries to deposit £3,000 before entering into the UK.

Ade Coker does not understand why the new policy should target two Black African countries - Ghana and Nigeria - and other non-white countries.

The UK made the headlines this week with the announcement of the new policy which is set to be piloted in November.

Residents in Nigeria, Ghana, Pakistan, India will be made to deposit the security bond once the policy comes into effect.

The amount will be refunded once the residents make a return to their various countries.

The policy according to the UK government is to prevent high-risk residents from these countries from overstaying their visas.

The British High Commission in Ghana has since clarified the policy.

“The details of the policy are still being finalised. Ghana is being considered as a pilot country, along with many others, but no final decision has yet been made.

"In the event that the pilot scheme goes ahead, the vast majority of visitors would be processed in the normal way. Only a very small number of the highest risk visitors would be required to pay a bond, and the bond would be refunded once the visitor returns home,” a statement said.

But the Regional Chairman of the NDC is not impressed.

Discussing the matter on Peace FM's Kokrokoo, Ade Coker said the policy was racist and discriminatory.

“If you are not targeting white collar countries,” then the policy is discriminatory, he noted.

He said the world has come too far to allow such a discriminatory policy to be implemented.

Kweku Baako Jnr who was also on the show said the discussion on the matter must be devoid of emotions.

He said the UK, like Ghana, has every right to protect its sovereign interest.

He cited the case in which Ghana is putting stringent policies in place to prevent illegal small scale miners from China and other countries from coming into Ghana and destroying the country's environment in the name of mining.