Ghana Embassy in Copenhagen Kick-Start Mobile Consular Service in Finland

The Ghana Embassy in Denmark has started its mobile consular services in the Nordic countries, kicking it off in Helsinki, Finland on 26-27 October 2018.

Ghana’s Ambassador to Denmark, H. E. Amerley Ollennu Awua-Asamoa led the Ghana Embassy Mobile Consular Team composed of the Minister Counsellor/Consular, Mrs Priscilla Ankomah, and two other staff of the Embassy. in conducting the first-ever mobile consular services this year.

The exercise has been seen as a huge benefit to Ghanaians and other nationals in Finland who wanted to process passport and acquire visas to Ghana. The mobile consular services generally involve immigration issues such as the issuing of passports, visas, authentication, renunciation and dual citizenship, travelling certificates, etc.

The mobile consular services in Helsinki attracted more than 50 applicants, most of whom were members of the Ghanaian community, and were served with passports and visa processing as well as dual citizenship services. The service will be conducted throughout the Nordic countries, having kick-started in Helsinki. Most of the applicants later expressed their deep gratitude to the Ghana Embassy Copenhagen for bringing the much-needed and sought-after consular services to their doorstep in Helsinki.

The first applicant, Ms Miriam Adu-Bediako, who applied for visa for herself and her two children, conveyed her appreciation for the excellent service given by the staff, saying “this has saved me a lot of time and money, posting of documents, and all that.” Several others also gave very positive and highly appreciative feedback to the Ghana Embassy team for this initiative which saved them money and time, as it would have been extremely costly, inconvenient and difficult if they had had to travel or post their documents to Copenhagen. Many of them admired the professional, excellent and very helpful service rendered by the efficient staff in such a laudable exercise.

Later in an interview, Ambassador Amerley Awua-Asamoa said the mobile consular service is something that has been the Embassy’s target as a mission. “It is part of our action plan this year…that any opportunity that we get when visiting any of the accredited countries, knowing the challenges some Ghanaians and other people who are looking for consular services go through, we would take the services to their door-step.”

The Ambassador assured that the Ghana Embassy in Copenhagen would continue to share with the Ghanaian community in Finland the government’s priority and concern for the welfare and well-being of Ghana’s diaspora everywhere as an important and key player for the country’s foreign policy and development.

The Ambassador thanked the Honorary Consul of Ghana in Finland, Ms Ulla Alanko, and the Ghana Union Finland for their vital support and exemplary cooperation extended to the Ghana Embassy Mobile Consular Team in ensuring a smooth and successful mobile consular service in Helsinki.

A day before the mobile consular services, the Head of the Embassy’s Consular Section, Mrs Priscilla Ankomah and her team engaged in a training of trainers exercise with some executive members of the Ghana Union Finland as well as leaders of some groups. The purpose of the training of trainers is to educate the executives of Ghanaian associations in the diaspora to enable such trainers to educate their colleagues on consular issues such as filling of passport and visa application forms, knowing the correct application fees and the appropriate documents to attach.