At least 17 Ghanaian PhD candidates in the United Kingdom risk deportation after being placed on a “red list” due to unpaid tuition fees linked to government scholarships.
JoyNews sources confirm that several students have been locked out of their university portals, effectively halting their academic work and research progress.
“Currently, we have about 110 students, and approximately 15 to 17 are on the red list. This means they face possible deportation because they have been withdrawn from their schools, with some already suspended,” Prince Komla Bansah, President of the Association of Ghanaian PhD Students in the UK, revealed on The Pulse on Tuesday, August 26.
The situation has already forced one affected scholar to flee to France, where they are seeking asylum. However, the student is expected to return to Ghana in the coming days.
The crisis stems from the Government of Ghana’s failure to settle outstanding scholarship obligations, with arrears reported to exceed GH¢700 million owed to institutions and host countries worldwide.
Mr. Bansah described the development as “dire,” warning that without immediate intervention, the academic and professional futures of many students could be permanently derailed.
The students are urgently appealing to the government to clear the arrears and safeguard their research careers, as the risk of deportation continues to loom.
