Ghanaian “film crew” facing criminal charges in Finland

A Ghanaian group which entered Finland illegally with the pretext of making a documentary film has been arrested and faces possible criminal charges, according to news reports by the biggest Finnish circulating daily Helsingin Sanomat on Thursday.

The Ghanaians arrived in the country in December last year apparently with false documents that provided them cover to claim they were making a documentary film, which ironically, was about illegal immigrants in Finland.

The group had signed an agreement with a Finnish production company to produce the documentary. However, shortly after arrival Finnish immigration authorities detected that several members of the film crew had no idea of why they were in the country. In addition the immigration authorities realized that some of them had falsified travel documents.

While the investigation was still going three members of the film crew suddenly turned around and applied for political asylum, saying that the purpose of the trip was to seek asylum and had nothing to do with making a film.

Another Ghanaian group ostensibly organized by the same person behind the “film crew” also sought asylum here in Finland on their way to Norway. According to news reports, the second group was on their way to participate in Koran-reading competition in Norway. Eight people were granted visas by the Norwegian authorities but four of them decided to seek political asylum in Finland.

It is suspected that the same human trafficking organization is behind the two Ghanaian groups – the “documentary film crew” and the Koran-reading competitors. A Ghanaian national who has apparently lived in Finland for long has been placed in police custody pending further investigations in connection with the two cases of illegally brining people into the country.

Due to strict legal restrictions, Finnish media are not allowed to mention names of suspects in a criminal case under investigations so the identities of the persons involved could not be established.

This is the second time within the last two years that Ghanaians have unsuccessfully tried to enter Finland illegally. Two years ago Obuor, Ghanaian artiste who was billed to perform here in a big festival in the capital Helsinki, was denied a visa because he had a suspiciously large entourage of 15 people for just a two-day performance.