During his tenure as the president of the Republic of Ghana, the late professor John Evans Atta Mills commissioned high-profile personalities and capable individuals to serve the country in foreign missions as high commissioners, ambassadors and consul generals. It could be recalled that at one of his commissioning service, he cautioned the diplomats against being champaign poppers instead of seeking the good of the country and its citizens in foreign destinations. Maybe that is why the High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Professor Kwaku Danso Boafo, has come out to enlighten us about the number of Ghanaians languishing in various prisons in London or the UK. He gave the cause of these able citizens staying behind the iron curtains with the major cause being over staying their visas in the country or better still crossing the country’s immigration border illegally. The High Commissioner made it simple for me to understand that his outfit was carrying out numerous programmes to see to it that those citizens are safe behind the iron curtains and even went on to hint of programmes to repatriate those willing to return to Ghana. That was a good one to hear. After all, he is not being a champaign popper in London. But he failed to tell us whether our brothers and sisters who are trapped in that country were not the same people who have tried to escape the economic hardship back home in Ghana by deciding to seek greener pastures in the United Kingdom. Therefore helping a number of them who are facing difficulties in consolidating their status in London will be from frying pan to fire because already some of them have sold their businesses, cocoa farms, houses, precious jewels or lease them while others collected big loans to enable them migrate to that country. So no one in such a condition, struggling to make money to go and clear his debt will easily and willingly come forward and sign repatriation documents to be put on a plane and send back home. The very first question one will throw at him is: what I am going back home to do for a living? Is he promising them job placement back home in Ghana if they accept repatriation? Has he found out a number of industrious men and women who have finished their higher learning and have still remained unemployed? Yes, it is true that a number of Ghanaians who are academically sound want to return to Ghana, but are adamant because they find the environment not industrial friendly for them to put what they have learnt into practice to create employment and wealth for themselves. But all said and done, it is factual that immigration issues are getting tough in many European countries as well as in North America. Persons describe as illegal immigrants are being deported everyday to their home country. Ghanaians in Canada are very much worried about the rate at which fellow citizens residing in United Kingdom are being described as illegal immigrants and chased out of the country. But in all these, there is hope at the end of the tunnel, Ghanaians abroad should take advantage of the education opportunities their countries of resident offer to acquire knowledge and skills in various professions so that when they are repatriated could put the acquired knowledge into practice – make them employable and also create wealth for themselves. Apart from my work, alongside practicing journalism and writing in Toronto-Canada, I have just enrolled in a Travel and Tourism distance course being offered by a reputable institution here. Currently some of us are aware that certain governments are going to use computer database system to track illegal immigrants and deport them from their country. There is no need to take chance. Over to you Professor Kweku Danso Boafo. To Ghanaians in the diaspora, a word to the wise is enough. The Greener Pastures Are Withering Very Fast.