Advanced countries are milking our youth through visa fees – Gyakye Quayson

Deputy Minister-designate for Foreign Affairs, James Gyakye Quayson, has lashed out at the exploitative visa regimes operated by many developed countries in Ghana.

vetting by Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Friday, July 25, the Assin North MP accused foreign embassies of profiting from high visa application fees, most of which are non-refundable despite a high rate of rejections.

“This is an administrative policy that we have to look into because I personally believe that most of these so-called advanced countries are milking our people,” he stated.

He pointed out that the practice disproportionately affects young people in developing countries like Ghana, where economic hardship and limited job prospects often push many to seek opportunities abroad. “On average, most African youth, because of a lack of opportunities, will want to travel outside,” he explained.

Gyakye Quayson emphasized that these embassies rely heavily on revenue from visa applicants — particularly those whose applications are rejected — to finance their local operations. “Most of the revenue used to support local embassies comes from visa rejection fees, and we need to find a way to streamline this and protect our youth,” he stressed.

He added, “Most of these so-called advanced countries are milking our youth through visa application fees to support their embassies.”

According to him, about 95% of applicants who are denied visas do not receive any refund — a situation he described as both unjust and exploitative.

A member of the vetting committee had cited practices in countries like Nigeria, where applicants are sometimes refunded upon visa rejection. In response, Quayson said he would work closely with the Foreign Affairs Minister to push for administrative reforms and diplomatic engagements that ensure fairness and accountability in visa processing.

Background

Gyakye Quayson’s vetting comes as part of the final batch of deputy ministerial nominees announced by Minister of State in Charge of Government Communication, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, on July 10, 2025.

Speaker Alban Bagbin formally referred the nominees to Parliament’s Appointments Committee on July 17. Once approved, they will complete President John Mahama’s 60-member ministerial team, fulfilling a key promise of maintaining a lean and efficient government structure.