The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is urging all Embassies and High Commissions in Ghana to put in place appropriate and humane conditions at their Embassies.
According to the ministry, the move forms part of remedial measures to the numerous complaints by the public, on how Ghanaian citizens are treated when they visit Foreign Missions in Ghana for visa applications.
“The complaints cover issues such as, not providing conducive waiting areas, non-availability of emergency services, long waiting times for appointment dates as well as challenges in using visa application websites”.
To address these concerns, the Ministry in a statement to the press disclosed that it has dispatched an official communique to all Embassies and High Commissions urging them to put in place appropriate and humane conditions at their Embassies, High Commissions and visa centres.
The Ministry expects that Foreign Missions will respond positively and appropriately to the request.
The Ministry said it would continue to take steps to ensure that the Embassies and High Commissions comply with the directives therein stated in the Note Verbale while acknowledging that Embassies and High Commissions reserve the right to determine who they issue visas to.
The Ministry further gave assurances to the public of its commitment to address the concerns of Ghanaian visa applicants.
At least six out of ten Ghanaians have expressed a desire to travel abroad in search of better opportunities. According to the 2024 Afrobarometer report, these individuals have considered leaving the country, primarily to improve their economic circumstances.
This situation is believed to have created a surge in demand for travel agencies and VISA application centres focusing more on the inflows and less on service delivery quality.
In some extreme cases, the unsuspecting applicants are taken advantage of with little or no regard for their genuine intention to travel legally.
However, this latest directive from the Foreign Ministry is seen as the first layer to a series of planned interventions by the government to sanitize the space.
