Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has stated that fifteen Ghanaian students have refused to return home despite the government providing air tickets.
In an interview with Ghana Connect’s Evans Mensah on Friday, he indicated that the government is working feverishly to assure the safety and evacuation of all Ghanaian students in Ukraine following Russia’s incursion.
However, he claims that this group of students declined the offer, resulting in a financial loss for the government.
“The latest is that we have another batch of eighteen who’ll be arriving tomorrow on Qatar Airways. An unfortunate thing is that a large number of those who were originally scheduled to travel this evening and arrive tomorrow have decided that they are not coming. About fifteen of them have decided that they were not taking advantage”, he disclosed.
He further stated that the students informed the government of their choice to remain on March 3, 2021, after the government had paid for their flights.
Mr. Ampratwum-Sarpong explained the pupils’ refusal to return home by saying that they had been offered many opportunities in Hungary to finish their education.
According to him, there are schools in Hungary that have expressed a desire to provide housing and tuition to Ghanaian students, which is why they are refusing to board the evacuation flight. Some of these students’ parents have approved their children’s decision not to return to Ghana, according to the Minister.
As a result, he stated that the Ministry could not force the students to return home against their will.
He did say, however, that his organization will make sure that the Hungarian government’s promises are well-documented in order to solidify the students’ decision to stay in Hungary.
Meanwhile, on March 1, 2022, the first group of Ghanaians evacuated from Ukraine, including students, landed in Accra.
Due to the closure of Ukraine’s airspace since the start of the crisis in the country, these people were rescued by land through neighboring countries.
To get all Ghanaian nationals evacuated to safer zones, the government has been working on a number of protocols in collaboration with diplomatic missions, honorary consuls, and other stakeholders.
Many of the students left stranded in Ukraine continue to arrive at the Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Poland borders, according to Dr Albert Kitcher, a Foreign Ministry representative aiding with the evacuation operation.
He stated he has received 45 of them so far, all of whom crossed the Ukraine border successfully on Monday.
“The majority of these are students.” I know some non-students who have gone on their own. Before you go to the border and board the plane, you have to go through roughly four or five steps. These individuals are departing from Kyiv, and so are in Ukrainian territory.
The person driving the bus is in regular contact with me and some of the student leaders as they leave, and we’re coordinating as they travel.
We’re passing information to the Ghana Mission as they leave so that when the people arrive, they’ll be ready to greet them, “he said.
