The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has formally cautioned embassies and high commissions operating in Ghana against the poor and often degrading treatment of Ghanaian visa applicants.
In a diplomatic note verbale, the Ministry demanded that foreign missions improve the overall conditions of their visa application processes, ensuring a more “humane” and dignified experience for Ghanaians.
This intervention follows mounting complaints from citizens who face persistent obstacles when seeking visas.
“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.”
This move by the Ministry, seeks to hold embassies accountable and push for a fair, transparent, and respectful application process.
The Ministry’s action comes in response to a significant increase in grievances lodged by Ghanaians who apply for visas at various foreign missions.
Reports indicate that the visa application process, which should be a straightforward and professional exercise, has instead become an ordeal marked by frustrating inefficiencies and inhumane conditions.
Many embassies lack proper facilities, forcing applicants to queue outside under harsh weather conditions for hours, sometimes without shelter, water, or seating.
Some applicants wait months for interview slots, causing disruptions to planned travel, business engagements, and academic programs.
High visa application fees, often non-refundable regardless of outcome, place a heavy financial burden on applicants. Some embassies even impose additional service charges, making the process prohibitively expensive for many.
There have been numerous complaints about unprofessional behavior by embassy officials, with applicants allegedly being spoken to in a demeaning manner and treated with unnecessary suspicion.
Several embassies operate application websites that frequently crash, causing applicants to lose vital data or fail to secure appointments.
Many applicants complain about lack of transparency in visa decisions, citing visa denials without clear explanations, which makes it difficult to understand or correct any alleged deficiencies in their applications.
These challenges are not new. Over the years, civil society groups and individual Ghanaians have voiced concerns about the unfair treatment meted out at certain foreign missions.
In 2017, Member of Parliament (MP) Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and the current Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, publicly criticized embassies for their poor services, urging the government to demand better conditions for applicants.
Although the Ministry did not explicitly name the embassies guilty of these practices, the US and UK embassies in Ghana have often been at the center of public complaints regarding harsh visa application processes.
In its official statement, the Ministry emphasized that it had urged embassies and high commissions to undertake immediate reforms to improve the overall experience of Ghanaian applicants.
The note verbal specifically demands that embassies improve waiting conditions for visa applicants and reduce the long delays associated with visa appointments and processing times.
It also requires them to introduce more transparent procedures that ensure fair consideration of applications and ensure that embassy staff treat applicants with respect and professionalism.
Embassies are further prompted to address technical issues with online application systems to prevent unnecessary delays and frustrations.
The Ministry clarified that while it is advocating for better conditions, this initiative does not seek to interfere with the sovereign right of embassies to issue or deny visas.
It respects the fact that “Embassies and High Commissions reserve the right to determine who they issue visas to.”
However, it insisted that the process must be fair, humane, and respectful of the dignity of Ghanaian applicants.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ intervention is a welcome step toward addressing the longstanding concerns of Ghanaian visa applicants.
By calling on embassies and high commissions to implement humane and fair visa processing conditions, the government aims to ensure that Ghanaians seeking to travel abroad do not endure undue hardship in the process.
The Ministry has assured the public that it will continue to monitor the situation and engage with embassies to ensure that necessary reforms are implemented.
