At least 500 Ghanaians are stranded in Dubai after they have been left to their fate by recruitment agencies and travel and tour companies under the pretext of engaging them in already secured jobs, government says.
In addition, the stranded Ghanaians are being forced to pay $30 per day for any extra day spent in excess of their visa term, the Information Minister disclosed on Tuesday.
Speaking to the media, Mustapha Hamid said the security agencies are tracking down the rogue companies engaged in sending young people to the Gulf Region, especially Dubai.
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He said investigations by government has revealed that the recruitment agencies charge between GHC8,000 and GHC15,000 to procure travel documents and travel visas for Ghanaians desperate for jobs in Dubai.
“These recruitment agencies solicit the assistance of Travel and Tour Operators, who act as sponsors of the visa application for a fee,” he continued: “Meanwhile, the visas that they secure for them are tourist visas which have only three months validly.”
“On their arrival in Dubai,” he said of the modus operandi of the agencies, “a corresponding agent takes charge and requests for an additional 1,000 Dirhams to cover accommodation for one month, while the job seeker is left alone to embark on a job search contrary to the promise of an assured job.”
He noted that given the validity of UAE tourist visas expire within three months, most Ghanaians are unable to secure work within the period, hence become illegal residents.
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“Their illegal immigration status obliges them to pay for any extra day spent in excess of their visa term, at $95 for extra day and $30 per day for any additional day spent in the UAE when they want to leave the country,” he said. “This is what has ensured that 500 of them have become stranded.
He also assured that measures have been put in place by government to bring the stranded Ghanaians home