Madam Hannah Dankwa is stranded in Ghana for nearly four months
An 81-year-old Ghanaian-born British citizen, Madam Hannah Dankwa, has been stranded in Ghana for nearly four months after what authorities describe as an “irregularity” in her date of birth was flagged on her travel documents.
Madam Dankwa, who is battling cancer and undergoing chemotherapy, had travelled from the United Kingdom (UK) to Kumasi, Ghana, with her daughter, Akua Duah, for a two-week family holiday.
However, when she attempted to board her flight back to the UK, she was denied passage despite holding the same documents she had used for more than 40 years.
“I feel really, really terrible. Really terrible. I just don’t know what to do,” Madam Dankwa said in a viral interview.
Her daughter, Akua, described the ordeal as a nightmare: “We were shocked. Mum has travelled from the UK to Ghana and back with the same documents for over 40 years. There has never been a problem. Now, she and I have been stuck in a hotel room for months because of this discrepancy.”
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Her family has written to UK authorities, including the Home Office, appealing for urgent intervention.
According to a news report, the National Health Service (NHS) has confirmed Madam Dankwa’s ongoing cancer treatment and emphasised that she needs close medical supervision back in the UK.
“We’re left in limbo, not knowing what is happening next,” Akua added.
“We just go week by week.”
Born in Kumasi in 1944, when Ghana was a British colony, Madam Dankwa is considered part of the Windrush generation, a term that typically evokes Caribbean migration but encompasses all Commonwealth citizens who moved to the UK before 1973.
An 81-year-old Ghanaian-born British citizen, Madam Hannah Dankwa, has been left stranded in Ghana after traveling to visit family, due to what authorities describe as an ‘irregularity’ with her date of birth.
Madam Hannah, who is currently battling cancer, had traveled to… pic.twitter.com/ghJVJtEk9V
— EDHUB🌍ℹ (@eddie_wrt) August 28, 2025
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