The government has announced stricter visa requirements for Chinese visitors as part of renewed measures to curb illegal small-scale mining, popularly known as galamsey.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series on Monday, September 15, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, disclosed that Ghana has revised its visa processing procedures at its missions in China.
“I can confirm to you that as part of my recent visit to China, I told them the position of President John Dramani Mahama and told them that this cannot continue. We made it clear to the city authorities that they cannot send their nationals here to engage in galamsey
He revealed that the new policy bars the processing of group visa applications for Chinese nationals.
“The new policy is now at our embassy in Beijing and our consulate in Guangzhou, where we no longer process group visa applications; that is the new policy,” he stated.
Mr. Ablakwa stressed that while some Chinese nationals have been implicated in illegal mining, such actions are not sanctioned by the Chinese government.
“There’s no official China-Ghana policy to come and destroy our environment. They have been supporting us to get rid of their nationals who come in. I have been cracking down, arresting them, prosecuting them, and we will continue to arrest and prosecute,” he emphasized.
The minister added that Ghana continues to engage Chinese authorities to strengthen bilateral cooperation in addressing the menace of illegal mining, which has caused widespread environmental damage in many parts of the country.
