The United Arab Emirates (UAE) says it has not banned Ghanaians from entering the UAE.
According to the ambassador designate of the United Arab Emirates to Ghana, H.E. Khalifa Yousif Alzaabi, no official in Dubai or no official source has been quoted in the media reports doing the rounds.
Speaking at the UAE embassy in Accra yesterday he said the ban has not happened in the past, and it is not happening now.
“Has there been any official source of this information, has there been any official source to this information from any official source in Dubai,this [ban] has not happened in the past, and it is not happening right now,”
He said the only time there was a disruption of flights between Ghana and Dubai, was during the rise in Covid-19 infections and Ghanaians could still apply for visas, and visas were still being approved but there were no flights.
“If anyone does get a rejected visa, that is an individual, what has that individual done. That, we leave it to the Immigration officials and security authorities to do so.”
“If I came to Ghana and I applied for my visa and my visa got approved, it is because the Ghanaian community allowed me to come, if I didn’t respect the country and they rejected my visa, they have the right to do so. “We welcome all Ghanaians all the time,” he added.
Media report
Some media reports had suggested earlier this week that the authorities in UAE had announced a visa ban against Ghanaians and 20 other African nationals seeking to visit Dubai with immediate effect.
The reports named the other countries as Uganda, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Cameroon, Nigeria, Liberia, Burundi, the Republic of Guinea, Gambia, Togo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Benin, Ivory Coast, Congo, Rwanda, Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, Comoros, and the Dominican Republic.
But clarifying the UAE official said it was “not true.”
Story by: Kwabena Boateng Asiedu | universnewsroom.com
