Over 2000 Ghanaian ladies depart to Gulf States in 5 months.
The Ghana Immigration Service has observed a worrying migration trend between the months of September 2014 and January 2015.
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According to the GIS, over 2000 ladies have so far departed from Ghana to the Gulf States of Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon within the past five months.
This, the service said was unusually high considering that they were all young Ghanaian ladies.
There are reports that an Indonesian and Ethiopian ban on citizens travelling to work as maid servants in the Middle Eastern countries has forced those countries to shift their attention on young Ghanaian women seeking such opportunities.
A migration alert notice issued by the GIS said their investigations have revealed that some local agencies were operating as recruitment agents for other job agencies in these Gulf States promising unsuspecting Ghanaian ladies lucrative job opportunities.
“They go further to assure them of very bright prospects in the area of Domestic Assistance jobs as well as the Hospitality industry with very flexible working hours, thereby making it possible to take up a second job.”
“Over 2000 ladies have so far departed from Ghana to these destinations within the past five months. Similarly, over the same period, we have witnessed the return or deportation of over 350 ladies."
These ladies, according to the GIS returned with harrowing stories about their journeys.
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"Whereas some of these ladies bitterly complained about how they were deceived into believing the grass was greener out there, others complained about being overworked, sexually molested, starved and subjected to inhumane treatment,” the notice from the GIS said.
It said the GIS have been told that a number of ladies have been held in camps awaiting their relatives to procure tickets for their return to Ghana, since their travel expenses to these States were borne by the job Agencies in the listed countries.
It is difficult to prevent these ladies from departing Ghana especially when they are adults and are in possession of the required travel documents, it said.
The GIS therefore appealed to the general public and prospective travelers to be wary of promises of lucrative job opportunities in these Gulf states.
“Members of the public are therefore being alerted to be wary when dealing with these recruitment Agencies.”