The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has said it did not undertake any deportation between 2012 and 2016 but rather repatriated 966 Chinese who were involved in illegal mining.
Speaking with Beatrice Adu on the Big Bulletin on Asaase 99.5 Tuesday (13 September), the head of public affairs of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Supt Michael Amoako-Atta said, “When it comes to the removal of citizens from Ghana, especially in relations to illegal mining, we do not have deportation on our records.”
“We have repatriation of nationals involved in illegal mining and they are removed from the country [but] for deportation there’s nothing like that. [And] between 2012 and 2016 we had 966 Chinese nationals who were repatriated from Ghana…” Amoako Atta said.
In an interview with TV3, former president John Mahama recounted how he did not hesitate to deport about 5,000 Chinese nationals engaged in illegal mining during his tenure of office to prove his commitment to tackling the menace.
“When I was in office, I faced this same illegal gold mining [issue]. I deported almost 5,000 illegal Chinese miners. I didn’t say because of the good relations we have with Ghana; we should allow them to engage in this illicit activity. We collaborated with the Chinese embassy, and it didn’t destroy our relationship.”
His comments come on the controversies surrounding the return of Chinese galamsey queen, Aisha Huang and whether she was deported or not.
However, Amoako Atta said, “… But in 2013 the Ghana Immigration Service conducted a number of operations and around that time we had 4000 Chinese nationals who voluntarily asked to be returned to China. So they were not repatriated but [decided to go back] on their own because of the operations we were undertaking in the mining areas. So this is different from the 966 repatriations.”
“Akufo-Addo should have resigned”
President Akufo-Addo in 2017 put his presidency on the line by stating his resolve to fight the galamsey menace.
“I have said in Cabinet, and perhaps this is the first time I am making this public that I am prepared to put my presidency on the line on this matter,” the President said.
Mahama, however, said President Akufo-Addo should have resigned by now per his own words.
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