The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has dismissed recent allegations that foreigners are easily obtaining Ghanaian passports, reaffirming its commitment to stringent verification processes.

In a release issued by the Ministry on Thursday in Accra, it stated emphatically that the requisite documents submitted for passport applications are subjected to rigorous scrutiny to verify the nationality of applicants before decisions are made on those applications.

“The submission of these documents does not guarantee the automatic issuance of passports”, it added.

According to the release, in addition to scrutinizing supporting documents, applicants also undergo in-person vetting, where additional information is obtained to substantiate what has been provided on the application form through an interview.

It stated that the Ministry wishes to assure that it will not, under any circumstances, avail itself of such a security document of the state to non-nationals.

“Our systems are robust, and we keep investing in modern technology and the training of our staff to advance our security protocols”, it added.

The Ministry also warned the general public that presenting forged or fake documents for Ministry services is illegal under Sections 158, 159, 166, and 169 of the Criminal Offences Act 1960 (Act 29).

Joyce Adwoa Animia Ocran, ISD