Ghana has not agreed with the United Kingdom (UK) to host migrants from the country, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration (MFARI) has said.
“The MFARI wishes to state categorically that Ghana has not engaged with the UK on such plans and does not intend to consider any such operation in the future,” the Ministry said in a statement issued yesterday.
It was reacting to news reports in the UK yesterday that under a policy code-named “operation red meat”, the UK authorities intend to, among other things “send migrants to countries such as Rwanda and Ghana for processing and resettlement.”
The online portal of Daily Mail for instance, published that “Asylum seekers could be flown to Ghana and Rwanda under government plans to deter migrant channel crossings, it was claimed today. Ministers are said to be drawing up proposals which would see people arriving illegally in the UK sent abroad for processing and resettlement.
“Home Secretary, Priti Patel, and Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, are in talks about ‘outsourcing’ the asylum process to other countries, according to The Times.The arrangements would see the UK pay another nation to take on the responsibility but no country has so far agreed to do so.”
The MFARI recalled that on September 18, 2021, it refuted a news item on Sky News about Ghana possibly interested in a partnership agreement with the UK to host deported or returned migrants of third countries from the UK.
“The position of the government has not changed and the Ministry advises that any publication that implies otherwise should be ignored,” the statement said.
BY TIMES REPORTER
