CAPE TOWN - Ghanaians who were stuck in the United Kingdom due to the country’s Covid-19 lockdown have been repatriated, Citi Newsroom reported.
The 224 Ghanaians arrived back in their home country on Wednesday, where they were checked in by Ghana Immigration Service personnel and health officers.
The group had agreed to foot the bill for their flights and 14-day mandatory quarantine at a hotel, according to the government’s precondition for their evacuation.
However, some citizens said the precondition was “excessive” and highlighted their concern as many of them had run out of money while they were stranded abroad. Many said they just could not afford the costs.
Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration responded to the concerns, saying consultations were under way to find a way to reduce the quarantine costs.
The Ghanaian government said thus far it has repatriated 856 citizens who were stranded abroad and that those still stuck overseas will be brought back home in phases.
Meanwhile, Kuwait also deported 245 Ghanaians, who were allowed back into the country by the government after they pleaded to go back home.
Another repatriation flight is set to take place and the next batch of Ghanaians still trapped in the UK are expected to arrive home this coming Sunday.
According to the real-time data portal Worldometer, the UK has 299,251 cases of Covid-19 with a death toll of 42,153, while Ghana has 12,590 cases of Covid-19 and a death toll of 66.