Ghanaians Abroad Fight Directives On Biometric Passports

Reports emanating from Ghanaians based in Russia indicate that they are gearing up to vent their spleen on the resident Ghana Embassy in Moscow over some kind of directive which falls in line with the acquisition of biometric Ghanaian Passports.

They are simply not happy with the directive that is asking and directing them to fly all the way to Accra in order to renew or acquire their passports.

The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has alerted that by 2015 all Ghanaians must have the newest biometric passport. This pressing need has made Ghanaians living abroad to find positive ways of following the process.

In this case, where they have been asked to fly back home to do the processing and collection is what they find very baffling and senseless.

They cannot fathom why the offices of the Ghana Embassy are opened for work every day and workers are getting paid while the embassies are not making any efforts to acquire biometric materials to produce the biometric passports.

A concerned student in Russia shared his frustrations with ModernGhana:

“I personally live in Russia as a private student. I have called on the embassy of Ghana here in Moscow about this issue but I was told currently, only Ghana embassies in the USA and UK have been authorized to issue the said new passports.

…When I followed up on the Ghana Embassies in UK and USA, I was told we would need to fly back home to get our passport. I personally called the passport office in Ghana and they confirmed we do need to come to Ghana. We find this very senseless since these embassies exist to work in the interest of its citizens. What kind of work are they doing there? What do they get paid for?”

He continued:
“My problem is that, I still don't understand why all Ghanaians will have to come home to get a new passport. I believe it would be reasonable for the passport office to bring materials for the production of the passports and what are the embassies also doing about it?”

He also raised critical reasons to buttress his point:

“Let me give you these logical reasons; Other African countries have also switched to the new biometric system but their citizens didn't have to go home. They were issued their passports right here in Moscow. Namibia, Cote D'Ivoire and Cameroun are just a few to mention.

…Secondly, some of us are students here and considering our current situation as students, it is not convenient for us to fly back home looking at the cost involved just to get your passport fixed as a Ghanaian.

The UK is comparatively nearer to Russia and some of us could go there to get these things fixed but I called the Ghana High Commission and I was told visitors cannot apply for passports. What is the meaning of all these?

…Also, there are lots of Ghanaians in Eastern Europe which the Ghana Embassy here in Moscow is serving. Some include Ukraine, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, among others.

There are students in all these countries and if we all need to come home for a passport, it is a pure indication of how inefficient our passport office is. This will put pressure on the machines in Ghana since Ghanaians back home are also applying for passports not to talk of other Ghanaians living abroad apart from the UK and the US.”