US Lifts Visa Curbs on Ghanaians after Diplomatic Talks

— But IMANI’s Franklin Cudjoe Says ‘We Settled for Too Little’

Ghanaians planning trips to the United States can now breathe easy as Washington has reversed visa restrictions imposed in July, restoring five-year multiple-entry visas and other consular privileges.

Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who is in New York with President Mahama’s delegation for the 80th UN General Assembly, revealed the news after a bilateral meeting with US under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Allison Hooker. He described it as the outcome of months of high-level diplomatic negotiations.

The restrictions, which had limited Ghanaian travelers to just three-month single-entry visas, were initially justified by the Trump administration as a response to years of visa overstays, especially by students.

“It’s good to see healthier and stronger Ghana-US relations,” Ablakwa said in a Facebook post on Saturday, September 27.

But not everyone is celebrating. IMANI-Africa President Franklin Cudjoe insists Ghana should have pushed for more. Linking the lifting of restrictions to Ghana’s agreement to accept deported West African nationals, he argued that the government missed an opportunity to negotiate better deals, such as relief from the 15 percent tariff hikes imposed earlier this year.

“Frankly, my brother Honourable Okudzeto, I wish this had not been posted and celebrated. We had this already… We could have negotiated for more, perhaps a good reduction of the 15% tariff imposed on Ghana,” Cudjoe wrote in response.

He further noted that President Mahama’s bold speech on Gaza at the UN General Assembly could have been leveraged for stronger trade or economic concessions, pointing out that President Trump “is a deal maker on almost everything.”

“Knowing that, we should not be settling for this visa pittance. Is this all we got from taking in our deportee West African neighbours? Anyways,” he quipped