Ayariga Probes Brazil Asylum Seekers


Mahama Ayariga
The Ministry of Youth and Sports has sought the assistance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration to find out the identities of the Ghanaians who reportedly applied for asylum in Brazil.

In response to the various media reports of cases of alleged Ghanaian football fans seeking asylum in Brazil, the ministry assembled the travel and tour companies that agreed to set up the travel of the fans to Brazil for the just-ended FIFA World Cup which Germany won.

A news statement issued in Accra and signed by Sector Minister Mahama Ayariga yesterday said the ministry had obtained what he called ‘Passenger Manifests’ from Ethiopian Airlines ETAOP ET8506 that conveyed the travellers on June 13, June 14 and June 15 to Brazil respectively as well as the ‘Passengers Manifest’ for the return flight on the June 27, June 28 and June 29.

‘The preliminary analysis of the manifests and discussions with the travel agents showed that fans that were sponsored by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, individuals and other organisations’ travellers were on board the same flight,’ the release said.

It added that ‘the Ministry sponsored a total number of 612 passengers. According to the manifest, of the 807 passengers who boarded the flight from Accra to Brazil, only 704 passengers boarded the flight from Brazil back to this country. This clearly discloses that there had been a shortage of 103 passengers to return from Brazil.’

The release said ‘the Manifest revealed that 195 passengers who were privately sponsored by themselves or corporate entities were on board the departure flights.’

‘We are yet to reveal the individuals on the return flights manifests to the list of 612 passengers sponsored by the Ministry to determine the actual numbers of our sponsored passengers who are yet to return,’ the statement said.

By: Esther Osei Bonsu

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