The Greater Accra Regional Commander of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Deputy Commissioner of Immigration (DCOI) Maud Anima Quainoo, has urged foreign students in Ghana to consult the outfit and attain relevant permits in order to study in the country without challenges.
According to Mrs Quainoo obtaining permits through middle men or unauthorised sources could have dire consequences on their education if they did not get the right permits.
“We always advise foreign students to consult the GIS to gain residence and study permits to stay in the country peacefully. But usually, they rather pass through different channels and charged exorbitant fees,” she stated.
She was speaking at this year’s Wisconsin International University College (WIUC-Ghana)’s Embassy Forum held in Accra on Tuesday as part of efforts to educate foreign students and address their concerns as far as studying and living in the country was concerned.
She explained that, there were conditions for staying in the country, and for students it was essential to acquire residence and study permits which were easily accessible at the GIS.
“Students could walk into our office and receive their permit within a week without difficulties and stop falling into the hands of middle men,” she stated.
She also urged students to provide the right information to the offices, and avoid using fake documents as the GIS would utilise the country’s laws to deal with such situations.
On his part, President for WIUC-Ghana, Prof. Obeng Mireku, said it was important to improve the survival and experience of international students, hence the need to discuss ways of integrating foreign students into the Ghanaian society, while studying in the country for the good of the entire African continent.
“Ghana has long been considered as a hub for quality education and efforts must be put in place to ensure the safety of all foreign students,” he stated.
“As key players in the education sector, we cannot be oblivious of the threat that comes with being positioned as one of the best destination for quality education in Africa hence the need to continuously engage each other with the aim mitigating the challenges and difficulties faced by our international students in order to make their experience in Ghana a memorable one,” he said.
He urged students to abide by the laws of Ghana as the university would also ensure they lived in a serene environment to study, and achieve their purposes of being in the country.
BY MICHAEL D. ABAYATEYE
