According to a staff member of the Ghana High Commission in Ottawa, a Ghanaian living outside Ghana cannot request someone in Ghana to apply for a Ghanaian passport on her or his behalf (28 Nov. 1994). The applicant for a new Ghanaian passport must first put in an application at the nearest Ghanaian mission (ibid.). The Ghanaian mission will submit the application for final approval to headquarters in Accra (ibid.). The staff member stated that it normally takes "a few months" to issue a new Ghanaian passport. However, Ghanaian missions with consular offices or missions that oversee consular matters for other Ghanaian diplomatic missions renew expiring passports (ibid.). According to the staff member, applicants renewing their passports must expect the process to take "weeks" after renewal applications have been submitted. The DIRB is unable to corroborate this information at the present time.

This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

High Commission for the Republic of Ghana, Ottawa. 28 November 1994. Telephone interview with staff member.