Madam Hannah Dankwa has returned to her family in the UK
Madam Hannah Dankwa, an 81-year-old Ghanaian-born British citizen, has finally returned to the United Kingdom after being stranded in Ghana for about four months due to a documentation discrepancy.
Her return brings relief to her family and supporters who had expressed concern over her prolonged stay.
The issue, according to earlier reports, stemmed from challenges with her travel documents, which delayed her journey back to the UK.
The octogenarian, who is battling cancer and undergoing chemotherapy, had travelled from the United Kingdom to Kumasi with her daughter, Akua Duah, for a two-week family holiday.
However, when she attempted to board her return flight, she was denied passage despite carrying the same documents she had used for more than 40 years.
Why an 81-year-old British citizen has been stranded in Ghana for months
Her daughter 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,” Akua earlier lamented to Channel 4 News.
The family then wrote to UK authorities, including the Home Office, appealing for urgent intervention. The National Health Service (NHS) also confirmed Madam Dankwa’s ongoing cancer treatment and stressed that she required close medical supervision in the UK.
Reacting to her return in an interview with Channel 4 News, and sighted by GhanaWeb, Madam Dankwa expressed relief and joy.
“I feel really good because all of my children and grandchildren were born here [in the United Kingdom]. so I don’t see the point why they were discriminating against me. They just left me there,” she said.
Madam Dankwa’s daughter, Akua Duah, told Channel 4 News that she questioned why, all of a sudden, despite her mother being a long-time resident of the UK, concerns were now being raised about her legitimacy and right to live in the country.
Although Madam Dankwa does not hold a permanent British passport, she joins thousands of immigrants who are often subjected to what many critics believe are discriminatory immigration laws.
Madam Dankwa, who was born in Kumasi in 1944, when Ghana was a British colony, is considered part of the Windrush generation, a term often associated with Caribbean migration but which also includes Commonwealth citizens who moved to the UK before 1973.
Watch the reunion and interview below:
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