The Ghana Year of Return event, which was initiated by the government of Ghana in 2019, saw a lot of Africans living in the diaspora migrate to Ghana. The event helped many people living in diaspora visit Ghana and Africa and know their roots.

The event also enabled Africans of the diaspora to inherit their inheritance and claim their identity, relatively, some are also seeking to learn about the culture and traditions of their ancestors. According to the DAB (diaspora affairs bureau), more than 3,000 African-Americans and people of Caribbean descent are estimated to be living in Ghana presently.

                                                                                          Steve Harvey, during the Year of Return Event

The Year of Return events brought many celebrities and people of African descent to Ghana. Some of these celebrities and popular African-Americans used the opportunity of their visit to tour, invest, learn about their culture, and, most importantly, become citizens of Ghana. The event has helped many diasporans have dual citizenship in Ghana and other African countries.

For example, Samuel L. Jackson and Ludacris become citizens of Gabon, while Michael Jai White, Rosario Dawson, Liza Rye, and many more also become citizens of Ghana. The Year of Return event was a great way for those in diaspora to embrace their roots and culture. It also reopened the door for those of African descent to discover their original roots.

                                                                                           Danny Glover and the president of Ghana

HOW TO GET A GHANAIAN CITIZENSHIP

Because of the Year of Return event, the government of Ghana formulated the Right of Abode to give those in the diaspora the chance to become citizens of Ghana. Other African countries, such as Eritrea, Gabon, and Sierra Leone, also took the same measure to help African Americans who wanted to live in Africa obtain citizenship.

In Ghana, a diasporan could be granted citizenship through the following:

• Granted to Ghanaians who have lost their Ghanaian citizenship by reason of the acquisition of foreign nationality.
• Granted to a person of African descent in the Diaspora who is of good moral character as attested to by two Ghanaians who are notaries public, lawyers, senior public officers, or other classes of persons who have been approved by the ministry (minister).
• People who do not have prior criminal records or who have not been convicted or sentenced to twelve months or more in prison
• A person of independent means and agenda.
• People who want to invest and bring developmental ideas.
• A person who is 18 years of age or older.

REQUIREMENTS

• An application letter addressed to the Minister for the interior applying for Right of Abode
• Attach relevant documents.

TIME FRAME

Six (6) months after a report on due diligence was submitted by the Ghana Immigration Service.

For more on this, you can visit the diaspora Affairs Bureau.

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Kofi Dekye Acquaye

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