More than 200 Ghanaians find themselves stranded in Cote d’Ivoire, as announced by Assistant Superintendent of Immigration (ASI) Rickey Nana Yaw Boakye, an officer at the Sampa Command of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) in the Bono Region.
These individuals appear to be among the unfortunate victims of “Q-Net,” a notorious fraudulent online scheme known for deceiving people into parting with substantial sums of money under the false promise of securing lucrative job opportunities abroad.
ASI Boakye noted that the Sampa Command is actively collaborating with its counterparts in La Cote d’Ivoire to rescue and repatriate the stranded Ghanaian migrants, including women and girls, back to their homeland.
Last year, the Command, with support from other security agencies, successfully rescued and brought approximately 200 victims back home through the Ghana-Cote d’Ivoire border in the Jaman North District of the region.
ASI Boakye shared these updates during a stakeholder’s meeting organized by ActionAid Ghana (AAG), a non-governmental organization, held at Abesim, near Sunyani, to validate a project it implemented in the region.
The implementation of the three-year Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD)-funded multi-country project concluded in December 2023.
ASI Boakye expressed disgust about the forms of human rights abuses the victims went through, saying, “Now as we speak, about 200 of the victims are locked up in a room in Ivory Coast and they are not allowed to go out.”
ASI Boakye highlighted the challenges in locating the victims, noting that they often took routes through unapproved areas along the border communities, often with the assistance of local motorbike and ‘pragyia’ riders.
He cautioned aspiring youth travellers to seek the Ghana Immigration Service for proper documentation, emphasising that those resorting to the illicit services of “Q-Net” were exposing themselves to unnecessary risks.
Kwame Afram Denkyira, the Bono Regional Programme Manager for AAG, stated that the project’s results significantly contributed to the advancement of people-centered national regulatory frameworks and policies, particularly in ensuring decent work within the agricultural value chain.