Massive Rip-Offs At Foreign Embassies

The burning desire by Ghanaians to travel abroad has turned foreign embassies in Ghana into ‘cruel slave kingdoms’. Foreign embassies in Ghana were honest and trustworthy partners in times past. Instead, these embassies have now become substantive hubs for the continual exploitation of the poor.

The Chinese Embassy is the latest to join the gang while the German Embassy has been adjudged the most tolerant and good-human-relations-practising embassy.

Led in chief by the British and American Embassies who charge exorbitant visa fees, these outfits treat visitors with so much disdain that some have earned the tag ‘no-go’ areas.

A recent example is the refusal of visas by the American embassy to some Ghanaian diplomats and journalists on a mission for the country abroad, notable among them the Agric and Energy Ministers, Ato Ahwoi and Dr. Oteng Adjei respectively.

During the launch of United Airlines at the Kotoka International Airport recently, Donald Teitelbaum, US Ambassador to Ghana, noted in a speech that his outfit granted 24,000 visas to Ghanaians in 2009. He also said 20,000 visas were granted Ghanaians in 2008.

This paper has made countless efforts to reach Benjamin East, Public Relations Officer at the US Embassy over a month ago to know a few more things in relation to this announcement but all to no avail.

Nevertheless, going by Mr Teitelbaum’s assertion, 100 Ghanaians are purportedly granted visas to the US on each of the five working days of the week though it is very difficult to even get appointment date for interview.

As to how many were rejected visas and yet had their visa application fees forfeited, because the embassy would not refund them, is not known. An amount of GH¢160 is charged by the UK Embassy in Ghana as visa application fee for a six-month multiple visa but most often, the embassy has granted visas covering less durations of stay without a refund.

Those who want to stay in UK for more than six months have to pay more than the aforementioned figure. The US Embassy on the other hand charges $150 for nonimmigrant visa. An interview with Kofi Kapito, CEO of the Consumer Protection Agency (CPA), on the subject last Wednesday, buttressed this exploitative situation prevailing at the foreign embassies.

“It has come to the knowledge of the CPA of various complaints that have been made to our office with regard to the unpalatable, inhuman and disrespectful treatment that are meted out to those that visit the foreign embassies in processing of visa applications.”

Indicating that visits by CPA’s research staff to most of the embassies clearly confirmed such reports, he said he had called the attention of the Minister of Foreign Affairs via a letter dated April 4, 2010, to the situation.

“However not even an acknowledgement letter from the Minister and his concern for the issues raised, merited a reply,” he emphasized.

Most of the embassies, this paper can reveal, do not even have a proper waiting space for people that visit their premises.

Thus, most visitors stand in the scorching sun for hours before they are invited inside the embassies to carry out their businesses.

When these reporters visited the UK Visa Application Centre at Labone in Accra, a 65-year-old woman was spotted in a queue from 6.00am to almost 12 noon before she could get the opportunity to just have her visa application form submitted.After submitting a visa application for one week, the passport collection can also take an applicant about two good hours.

Again, at the US Embassy, visa applicants are made to stand almost 500 meters away from the embassy premises because they would not be allowed to stand or wait anywhere around the embassy.Furthermore, all visa fees have been increased dramatically. The visa fee, once known as visa application fee, has now been renamed visa processing fee.

With the huge amount charged, one wonders what amount of ink and paper is used for this activity that warrants such a fee.With the visa application fee, there was a specific amount that applicants paid and once their visa was approved, they were made to pay a visa processing fee.Now applicants are supposed to pay upfront, a visa processing fee that includes both the application and processing fees.

In the event of a visa refusal, applicants’ money is not refunded. Applications vary between six months, 1 to 2 years, 3, 4 and 5 years depending on what legitimate business applicants are desirous to undertake.

There are unconfirmed reports that when people are refused visa, the embassies ask them to reapply and this is generating more revenue for the embassies.The embassies send these monies to their respective countries who in turn give them back to Ghana in the form of aid.

Mr Kapito said the government must immediately correct this anomaly and robbery at the diplomatic level, stressing that “we think our fellow Ghanaians are getting a raw deal from these embassies and we want the right thing to be done.” More amon.