Reconsider fans’ visa requests : Minister appeals

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Mahama Ayariga, has made a passionate appeal to the Canadian High Commission to review its decision to treat Ghanaian visa applicants as potential asylum seekers following recent reports that some Ghanaian supporters who travelled to Brazil for the just-ended FIFA World Cup refused to return home and applied for asylum.

The minister made the appeal yesterday in reaction to media reports that the Canadian High Commission had turned down a number of visa applicants seeking to travel to Canada to watch the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup which starts on Tuesday. 

“I am aware of media reports of large-scale refusal of visas to Ghanaian football fans wishing to travel to Canada to support the Black Princesses.

“Since the High Commission has not publicly refuted the claims, I have written to express my concerns about the high levels of rejection of visa applicants and also entreat them to give Ghanaians the opportunity to back the Black Princesses at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup,” he said.

He added that he had earlier met the Charge d’Affairs of the Commission with regard to the government’s intention to file the applications on behalf of Ghanaians but that was rejected.

“Canada must uphold their immigration laws but as host of a FIFA tournament they are committed to providing ample opportunity for football-loving people all over the world to be able to visit the country and watch the matches; it is a consequential risk,” he said.

The minister expressed the hope that, in keeping with the bond of friendship which existed between the two countries, the Canadian High Commission would remain fair to Ghanaians seeking to watch the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and avoid the present spate of negative media reportage.