Monday
Mar032008
Ghana and Nigerian's Stranded in Barbados
Monday, March 3, 2008 at 05:14AM
I'm a week late jumping into this, held off commenting on this bizarre story because there have been discrepancies in some of the media - especially when you add up the number of travelers that are involved - but here goes - Linda
There's been a lot of speculation since last week exactly how many "stranded" passengers remain in Barbados, how many took off for other Caribbean destinations, and even how many passengers actually arrived on the very first African airlines flight to Barbados on February 1.
This in itself is suspicious because it is always known exactly how many passengers a plane is carrying, how many have plans to stay in the arrival country, as well as how many change flights to other Caribbean islands. This is the reason immigration cards are filled out onboard prior to landing in any foreign destination.
What is known is that the return flight never showed up on February 15th, and some reports say another flight was supposed to arrive to pick the passengers up on February 20, but once again no flight.
The main issue at hand is why the return charter flight on Ghana International Airlines never came back to pick up the passengers they brought to Barbados. Mind you this was the very first flight from Ghana to the island of Barbados. Island officials even had a ceremony with an historical theme of uniting those of the African Diaspora. The inaugural one way drop off flight has to be viewed as highly suspicious, and definitely warrants more investigation.
Charter flights are only profitable when they bring a full load of passengers to a destination, and on the return flight have additional passengers onboard. Flying from Africa to Barbados is obviously a long haul trip, and takes a lot of fuel, which at today's prices is a lot of money. It is well known that many airlines across the globe are struggling to stay afloat, so the financial stability of the African airline is just one possibility for the no return flight. But many in Barbados are speculating that perhaps this was an illegal immigration scam all along, since most of the passengers onboard were men. Most charter flights do not carry all male passengers unless it is a speciality trip such as a golf outing, male oriented sports, or some kind of male bonding event.
What is known is that there are approximately 69 people on the island of Barbados from the February 1 flight. Reports from Barbados locals, and the newspaper state that some of the Africans are working, which brings about another issue of work permits for foreigners. And there are even reports that Ghana Airlines wants to fly back to Barbados supposedly to pick up the original passengers, but that is obviously in question with immigration since they also plan to have more passengers onboard - and this whole issue could repeat itself again.
Lots of unanswered questions, but what is clear to me is that the charter tour service in Ghana, and the airline both need to be investigated on this inaugural flight. Some of the questions I've had for the past week is why there is is a discrepancy in media reports on exactly how many passengers were on the plane, how many passengers had plans to stay in Barbados, and how many of these passengers are on other islands. Why are the media only reporting stranded passengers on Barbados since more than half of the passengers took connecting flights to other islands? Are these passengers not stranded also?
Well, I'll report back when more information is available. I have posted links to other blogs discussing this same issue.
Stranded - Barbados Nation News
Ghana International Airlines Strands 149 Passengers
SHAME - GIA strands Ghanaians in Barbados
Whither The Stranded Africans
There's been a lot of speculation since last week exactly how many "stranded" passengers remain in Barbados, how many took off for other Caribbean destinations, and even how many passengers actually arrived on the very first African airlines flight to Barbados on February 1. This in itself is suspicious because it is always known exactly how many passengers a plane is carrying, how many have plans to stay in the arrival country, as well as how many change flights to other Caribbean islands. This is the reason immigration cards are filled out onboard prior to landing in any foreign destination.
What is known is that the return flight never showed up on February 15th, and some reports say another flight was supposed to arrive to pick the passengers up on February 20, but once again no flight.
The main issue at hand is why the return charter flight on Ghana International Airlines never came back to pick up the passengers they brought to Barbados. Mind you this was the very first flight from Ghana to the island of Barbados. Island officials even had a ceremony with an historical theme of uniting those of the African Diaspora. The inaugural one way drop off flight has to be viewed as highly suspicious, and definitely warrants more investigation.
Charter flights are only profitable when they bring a full load of passengers to a destination, and on the return flight have additional passengers onboard. Flying from Africa to Barbados is obviously a long haul trip, and takes a lot of fuel, which at today's prices is a lot of money. It is well known that many airlines across the globe are struggling to stay afloat, so the financial stability of the African airline is just one possibility for the no return flight. But many in Barbados are speculating that perhaps this was an illegal immigration scam all along, since most of the passengers onboard were men. Most charter flights do not carry all male passengers unless it is a speciality trip such as a golf outing, male oriented sports, or some kind of male bonding event.
What is known is that there are approximately 69 people on the island of Barbados from the February 1 flight. Reports from Barbados locals, and the newspaper state that some of the Africans are working, which brings about another issue of work permits for foreigners. And there are even reports that Ghana Airlines wants to fly back to Barbados supposedly to pick up the original passengers, but that is obviously in question with immigration since they also plan to have more passengers onboard - and this whole issue could repeat itself again.
Lots of unanswered questions, but what is clear to me is that the charter tour service in Ghana, and the airline both need to be investigated on this inaugural flight. Some of the questions I've had for the past week is why there is is a discrepancy in media reports on exactly how many passengers were on the plane, how many passengers had plans to stay in Barbados, and how many of these passengers are on other islands. Why are the media only reporting stranded passengers on Barbados since more than half of the passengers took connecting flights to other islands? Are these passengers not stranded also?
Well, I'll report back when more information is available. I have posted links to other blogs discussing this same issue.
Stranded - Barbados Nation News
Ghana International Airlines Strands 149 Passengers
SHAME - GIA strands Ghanaians in Barbados
Whither The Stranded Africans
Reader Comments (5)
Much have been said about Ghanaians being stranded in Barbados; but to my suprise, I have not head comments on how one cen be discribed as that.
My big question is: do the Barbadian government like the idea of these African brothers staying in Barbados? Do Barbadians like Africans? What BAD TREATMENT the Government of Barbados is giving to these African brothers and terming it the other way round?
These law abiding brothers are not being giving a fair TREATMENT at all; but it seems no one is ready to point it out. What I want the WHOLE AFRICA TO KNOW IS THAT, BARBADIANS DON'T LIKE AFRICANS, PERIOD.
Africa should know this from today. thank you.
Concerned Brother
23/02/2005 14:26 - (SA)
Accra - Ghana's immigration service on Wednesday announced it had broken up a Chinese human trafficking ring which promised jobs in Europe and the United States to Chinese migrants smuggled in and then out of the West African country.
The bust highlights the growing problem of illegal immigration to Ghana by migrants from around the globe who believe that access to Europe or North America will be easier from Africa than from their home countries in the Middle East or Asia.
Seven Chinese nationals who paid as much as $5 000 each to the ring allegedly run by Lin Xianglan and her husband were to be deported on Sunday, Ghana Immigration Service director Elizabeth Adjei said.
Xianglan, 45, was also taken into custody and is expected to face trial on charges to include fraud.
"There was nothing legitimate to what she was doing," Adjei said of the Chinese businesswoman, who was also the operator of a Ghana restaurant and casino.
"She came in as a visitor and all of a sudden owned a restaurant, which was already operating."
According to the GIS investigation, Xianglan had registered the Al-Las Company in a bid to take advantage of the benefits offered to businesses operating in one of Ghana's commercial Free Zones.
The Free Zones are commercial havens that allot tax relief and liberal employment quotas to manufacturers who base their operations in Ghana.
The concept has been promoted by President John Kufuor as part of his economic reform plan to rid Ghana of its external debt and grow its economy.
Preliminary interviews with the suspect and the would-be migrants suggest that they were recruited in China and then, using false documents, were able to obtain visas from the Ghanaian embassy in Beijing.
After a brief stay in Ghana they were to head to the United States, again using false documents.
Adjei said "several hundred" Asian migrants have been caught by GIS and returned home - ironic, she noted, in a country that has in recent months had to repatriate dozens of its own nationals nabbed by European and Libyan immigration officials trying to make their way north.
"We had Ghanaians in mind for our anti-trafficking operations; we did not plan for this new phenomenon," she said.
Regular flights from East African airports in Kenya and Ethiopia are packed with aspiring immigrants, and Ghana's land borders with Togo and Ivory Coast are also conduits for migration.
"People are using our country as a transit point, with their final destination being the United States or Europe," Adjei added.
"We have been very much aware for some time (of the trafficking problem) and have begun to raise scrutiny when Asians arrive at our port, or our airport. Some of them are even bearing tickets for Mexico City." - AFP
Barbadians have a right to demand that these
Africans be deported from our shores ,the time
as a Visitor has expired, the African Goverments have not responded as far as I am
concerned to the plight of these African Brothers, The Barbados Goverment have provided
a temporary shelter and Food for these ungratefull Africans, but I think you and your
Kind will prefer the Goverment to put these Scammers up in a five star Hotel at the expense of the Barbadian Taxpayer, the Barbadian Taxpayer have all rights to be upset
as we are now paying the way for these Africans.
I am a native of nigeria i want to travel to babardos but i dont know the actual flight i will book....please advice me how to get a flight from gahana to babardos....
It seems that 1/3 of the passengers in the inaugural flight's group, were not among "those
law abiding citizens" who were planning to
Respect the Laws of this Nation. They wanted to use this opportunity as a springboard to abscond illegally to greener pastures without scrutiny.
Out of 87 of those who were returned? It is suggested, that at least 38 were looking to illegally immigrate to Trinidad & Other places to slide under the radar.
http://www.thestatesmanonline.com/pages/news_detail.php?newsid=6376§ion=1
All had the opportunity to Go back to Ghana without penalty but ?
Out of 150 passengers, I've read that 87 were actually returned ????????
http://www.dailyguideghana.com/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=5366
One should not come to this
Island or any other island of the Caribbean and believe that they have carte-blanche,to try to use /exploit law abiding Caribbean Brothers
& Sisters to further their questionable agendas.
One should not come here to "thumb their noses" at their Host's immigration laws while on this Island with Impunity, simply because they are West African.
Maybe the majority of these people in Ghana are law abiding citizens too?
http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2008-03/2008-03-17-voa37.cfm?CFID=242417742&CFTOKEN=80021439