Deputy Minister-designate for Foreign Affairs, James Gyakye Quayson, has called on foreign embassies to review their visa fee policies, describing them as exploitative and unfair to many Ghanaian and African travellers.
Speaking during his vetting before Parliament’s Appointments Committee, Mr. Quayson expressed concern over the non-refundable nature of visa fees, especially in Western countries, and their impact on young Africans seeking opportunities abroad.
“I personally believe that most of these so-called advanced countries are locking our people out. On average, most African youth, because of a lack of opportunities, want to travel abroad. A visa is not cheap; even just the application form alone is about $160—which could represent a month or two of wages for our youth in labour,” he said.
Mr. Quayson lamented that many applicants from Africa are denied visas without reimbursement, despite paying high application fees. He alleged that visa fees have become a major revenue source for foreign embassies in Ghana and across the continent.
“Most of these countries are using that as revenue to support their embassies. If we don’t realise that, we assume they’re rich and can afford to maintain embassies. But that’s not the case—much of their revenue comes from us,” he claimed.
To address this issue, the deputy minister-designate pledged to work closely with Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa to initiate diplomatic efforts aimed at reforming existing visa fee policies.
“We will find a way to put an end to that. I will work with my minister to ensure that any policy we propose will be in the interest of our people. Foreign policy is not just about protecting foreign nations,” he emphasized.
