Ghana has ceased the processing of group visas to Chinese nationals seeking to enter the West African nation.
The country’s Foreign Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa believes this is a positive step towards fighting illegal mining which is fast becoming a bane in the nation’s environmental sustainability.
Africa’s number one gold producer and exporter has in recent years faced a scourge of illegal mining with Chinese nationals predominantly at the center of many arrests.
The country has in several engagements pledged to crackdown on individuals engaged in unregulated mining which causes an annual loss of $2billion to the country, together with gold smuggling activities.
Addressing an accountability series in capital Accra, the Ghanaian Foreign Minister said while some Chinese are involved in legitimate and transformative businesses in Ghana, “there’s no official China-Ghana policy to come and destroy our environment.”
“We have a new policy now at our embassy in Beijing and our consulate in Guangzhou, where we no longer process group visa applications; that is the new policy. Everybody must show up for an interview,” he stated.
Ablakwa confirmed however, that Chinese authorities have been “supporting” Ghana to get rid of nationals who come to the country and engage in illegal activities, particularly, mining.
“They have been supporting us to get rid of their nationals who come in. We have been cracking down, arresting them, prosecuting them, and we will continue to arrest and prosecutions,” he added.
