Nine Ghanaian Team Members Missing After Entering Norway on Alleged Forged Documents, Visas

A group of nine Ghanaian team members have gone missing after allegedly entering Norway with forged documents and visas. The group, initially consisting of 11 members posing as a Paralympic team, intended to stay in the EU illegally. Their plan was uncovered when they failed to register for the Fjordkraft Bergen City Marathon, leading to alerts being issued to Schengen states and Ghanaian officials, according to Schengen News.

The Ghanaian Ministry of National Security reported that the team arrived in Oslo on April 25, 2024. Since then, nine members have disappeared. The situation took a tragic turn when the team’s coach passed away and another member was arrested while attempting to flee to Sweden.

In response to the incident, the National Paralympic Committee of Ghana has indefinitely suspended two officials involved in the visa fraud scheme. Stricter visa regulations for Ghanaians seeking entry into the Schengen area are anticipated. Those deported will face entry bans.

In 2023, Ghana saw 45,421 Schengen visa applications, with 23,400 approved and 21,226 rejected. This incident is likely to prompt even more scrutiny of future applications.