The Ghanaian government has recently announced the recall of all Diplomatic and Service passports that were issued by the previous administration. This action was ordered by President Mahama and directed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration.
The recall is set to ensure proper use, prevent misuse, and maintain the integrity of Ghana’s passport system. The deadline for the return of these passports is January 24, 2025. Following the recall, these passports will be re-issued to those who are rightfully eligible.
In Ghana, diplomatic passports are issued to members of the government, diplomats, and in some cases, members of parliament. There have been discussions about the misuse of diplomatic passports, leading to calls for better regulation. There was a mention that some members of parliament have engaged in visa fraud using these passports, prompting a review of who should be issued such documents.
Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has been working on clearing a backlog of passport applications and improving service delivery. This includes plans to introduce chip-embedded passports in compliance with ICAO standards. However, this does not directly relate to recalling passports.
While not directly about Ghana, there was a mention of Bangladesh recalling several envoys, which might give context to how countries manage their diplomatic corps, but this is not directly linked to Ghana’s actions on passports.
