Up to hundred and twenty-seven (127) Ghanaian migrants arrived Ghana on the night of Wednesday, November 29 from Libya.
According to reports, the one hundred and twenty-seven Ghanaians transiting Libya en route to Europe were part of Thousands of African migrants kept at illegal camps in Libya.
They were brought in by two flights, Air Libya and Afrikia Airways after they were rescued from detention centres in Libya following CNN’s footage of migrants being auctioned off as slaves in Libya.
They landed at the Kotoka International Airport on Wednesday – around 9:30 p.m. Some of the migrants told sad stories of how they escaped and made their way to deportation camp.
One of the Ghanaian migrants who narrated his ordeal with Starr FM told his heartbreaking story of how they went through the desert and suffered excruciatingly.
Some of the migrants he said disappeared without a trace and others were shot and killed. However, some were able to escape and were arrested and brought to the deportation centre.
Some others also shared disheartening accounts of how they were viciously assaulted with some of them sold into slavery by fellow Ghanaians.
Libya’s UN-backed government says it is investigating allegations that hundreds of African refugees and migrants passing through Libya are being bought and sold in modern-day slave markets.
Libya is the main gateway for people attempting to reach Europe by sea, with more than 150,000 people making the crossing in each of the past three years.
Thousands of West African migrants seeking a better life often risk everything to get to Libya’s coast and then across the Mediterranean into Europe.
Libyan ambassador has cautioned other Ghanaians against embarking on the perilous journey while kicking against a military intervention in dealing with the Libyan migrant crisis as suggested by Minority spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had stated that no Ghanaian has been involved in the slave trade reported in Libya.
The ministry said that all Ghanaians being detained in the Northern African country are being held on illegal immigration charges and not being traded as slaves as earlier reported by the media.
But recent reports have shown that some were captured and abused in a bid to sell them into slavery.
Join GhanaStar.com to receive daily email alerts of breaking news in Ghana. GhanaStar.com is your source for all Ghana News. Get the latest Ghana news, breaking news, sports, politics, entertainment and more about Ghana, Africa and beyond.
