Key Takeaways

• Over 100 Ghanaian doctoral students in the UK are facing deportation due to unpaid tuition fees and living allowances
• The students are petitioning the UK government to help persuade the Ghanaian government to pay the backlog of fees, which totals millions of pounds
• Some students have already been deported, evicted from their accommodation, or forced to rely on food banks to survive
• The Ghanaian government has cited inherited debts and a pause on new scholarships as reasons for the funding crisis
• The students are calling for urgent action to resolve the situation and prevent further hardship and deportation

Introduction to the Crisis
Students from Ghana who are studying at universities in the UK are facing a severe crisis due to the non-payment of their tuition fees and living allowances by their government. The group of over 100 doctoral students, led by Prince Komla Bansah, has petitioned Downing Street and the Labour Party leader, Keir Starmer, to intervene and help persuade the Ghanaian government to pay the backlog of fees, which is estimated to be in the millions of pounds. The students are spread across various institutions in the UK, including University College London, Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, and the universities of Nottingham, Bradford, Warwick, Lincoln, and Liverpool.

The Impact on Students
The funding crisis has had a devastating impact on the students, with some already being deported by the Home Office after their universities withdrew their registrations due to non-payment. Others have been evicted from their accommodation or forced to borrow money to survive. Bansah noted that many students are struggling to make ends meet, with some relying on part-time jobs to get by, while others have had to depend on food banks to feed themselves. The situation is dire, with some students facing court cases over unpaid rent and others unable to access their university’s facilities or submit their work due to the non-payment of fees.

The Ghanaian Government’s Response
The Ghanaian authorities have attributed the funding crisis to inherited debts from the previous administration, which total an estimated £32m. Alex Kwaku Asafo-Agyei, the registrar of the Ghana scholarship secretariat, stated that an audit of all scholarships given out by the last administration is ongoing, and a pause has been placed on new scholarships to the UK. However, Asafo-Agyei claimed that Ghana has made significant payments to partner institutions in the UK and is working to resolve the issues amicably. Despite this, he declined to disclose how much of the debt has been paid so far, citing the need for approval from higher authorities.

The Students’ Plea
The students are calling for urgent action to resolve the situation, with Bansah arguing that the new government was aware of the situation before it came into power and has still failed to make the necessary payments. He also questioned why the government is still awarding foreign scholarships when it knows that there is a major problem with the UK. The students are not alone in their struggles, as similar issues have affected students from other countries, including Nigeria and South Africa. In 2020, Nigerian students protested outside their high commission in London after some students lost their course places due to missing payments, while hundreds of South African students in Russia faced eviction from campus due to delays in receiving government scholarships.

The Need for Resolution
The situation facing the Ghanaian students in the UK is critical, and urgent action is needed to prevent further hardship and deportation. The students are petitioning the UK government to help persuade the Ghanaian government to pay the backlog of fees and living allowances, and to find a long-term solution to the funding crisis. The Ghanaian government must take responsibility for its obligations to its students and work to resolve the issues amicably. The international community must also take note of the struggles faced by international students and work to ensure that their rights are protected and their needs are met. Ultimately, the fate of these students hangs in the balance, and it is imperative that a resolution is found soon to prevent further suffering and injustice.