Ghanians who dodged flight will still be deported

Two Ghanian men who yesterday swallowed liquid soap in a successful attempt to prevent repatriation will still be deported, a spokesman for the Home Affairs Ministry said this morning. The two men were hospitalised for treatment but were discharged at 11 a.m., a few minutes after the aircraft carrying 35 of their co-nationals took off for Accra. "The two men will be deported on the next available flight," the spokesman said. Somebody yesterday also tried to hinder the deportations by phoning the control tower to claim that people had been seen within the airport perimeter, near the runway. The airport was briefly closed while a search was carried out, but the call turned out to be a hoax. The Ghanian migrants were escorted on the aircraft by 70 policemen - a ratio of two policemen to every migrant. The migrants' request for asylum had been rejected because Ghana is considered to be a safe country. The EU through Frontex is financing 80% of the cost of the deportations.