Hundreds of Ghanaians Who Went To Brazil as Tourists Are Seeking Asylum

Police in southern Brazil are reporting today that hundreds of Ghanaians who went to Brazil as tourists to watch the 2014 FIFA World Cup games have asked for asylum.
Noerci da Silva Melo who heads the Federal Police office in the city of Caxias do Sul said that over the past week 200 Ghanaians asked for asylum. The Justice Ministry will decide whether to grant their requests and in the meantime, they are allowed to work and circulate in Brazil.
The Justice Ministry did not immediately comment.
Melo said close to 150 of the Ghanaians have left Caxias do Sul for the states of Sao Paulo and Santa Catarina where they have a better chance of finding employment.
Melo said the Ghanaians said they were Muslims who were “fleeing the violent conflicts between different Muslim groups.” The exact conflict are however not being stated but the Ghanaians.
He said they all entered Brazil legally to watch their country’s team play in Natal, Fortaleza and Brasilia. Ghana howver finished last in its group, drawing with Germany, losing to the United States and Portugal.
Vanessa Perini Moojen of the Roman Catholic Church’s Migrant Support Center said the asylum-seekers “faced life-threatening situations back home.” She would not elaborate.
“They feel they can find work and better living conditions in Brazil,” she added.
The center provided temporary shelter for the Ghanaians at the city’s seminary and helped them prepare their asylum requests.
Accra Report cannot at this stage confirm whether these asylum seekers are part of the Ghanaian government’s sponsored soccer fan group airlifted to Brazil, or they are individuals who went to Brazil independently.
The news of Ghanaian sports supporters seeking asylum outside Ghana after patronizing sports events is not surprising all.
It is commonplace to see our sport fans seek economic asylum when they are finally successful in their bid to leave the borders of Ghana. However, the reason behind this group of 200 quest is bound to bring chuckles among Ghanaians if it is ascertained that they are part of the government of Ghana’s sponsored contingent to the Brazil 2014 World Cup.
Prior to the government of Ghana’s decision to airlift soccer fans to Brazil, the then substantive NDC Deputy Minister of Sports Hon Yamin asserted that most of the fans who will be fortunate to make the trip to Brazil will consist of supporters of the NDC government.
Making round on social media are jokes that that these fans are escaping the Better Ghana Agenda, which is the NDC’s blueprint for saving Ghana