81-Year-Old Hannah Finally Returns to the UK After Months of Being Stranded in Ghana

• 81-year-old Hannah Dankwa returned to the UK after being stranded in Ghana for months due to travel issues
• Media intervention led to the processing of emergency travel documents, allowing Hannah to finally return to the UK on September 11
• Despite her return, Hannah still lacked a permanent British passport and faced significant financial burdens

81-year-old Hannah Dankwa has finally returned to the United Kingdom after months of being stranded in Ghana and missing important health-related appointments.

In a recent video, the British citizen of Ghanaian origin finally returned home to an emotional reunion with her family at Heathrow Airport, west of Central London.

Her case raised serious questions about the UK Home Office's procedures in comparison to the Windrush Scandal. In an earlier report, YEN.com.gh confirmed that Hannah had been a UK resident for over 6 decades.

Hannah finally granted entry into the UK

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Sadly, things changed when she travelled to Kumasi, Ghana, in April for a 16-day holiday. Upon attempting to return, she was inexplicably denied boarding due to an alleged 'irregularity' with her travel documents, which she had been using without issue for years.

Hannah's breakthrough came only after media reports highlighted her plight, prompting the Windrush Commissioner to urge the Home Office to act. Within 24 hours of this intervention, an emergency travel document was issued, finally allowing Hannah to fly home to the UK.

She landed on UK soil on September 11, 2025. However, the official response from the Home Office did not refer to the errors made, the four-month delay, or include an apology.

"I don't see the point of why they were discriminating against me," Hannah stated shortly after arriving home. "My children, all of them, were born here. My grandchildren were born here."

The Windrush Commissioner also said:

"I am relieved that Hannah Dankwa is now safely back in the UK, where she belongs. I will be conducting a review of what went wrong in Hannah's case to ensure this does not happen again."

Hannah's travel story not yet over

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While the family celebrated her return, the ordeal was not over. Hannah still does not have a permanent British passport, and the family claimed they were "tens of thousands of pounds out of pocket" due to the unexpected costs.

When asked what she would say to the Home Secretary, Hannah's question was simple yet profound:

"I want to ask them why they treat me that way... Living here for past 60 years, I must know right and wrong."

For a woman who has built her life in the UK for six decades, the hurt of being locked out of the country by her own government will, as the report concludes, "sting for a while yet."

Watch the happy moments when she arrived in the UK:

US denies entry to famous businesswoman

YEN.com.gh had earlier reported that a Ghanaian US-based lawyer, Akua Aboagye, explained why a Nigerian hair vendor was sent back to her country from the US after attempting to sell products on a visitor visa.

The woman was detained at the US airport after CBP discovered her business intentions through her Instagram.

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Aboagye stressed that a visitor visa (B1/B2) cannot be used for business purposes, with the L-1 visa required for such.

Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.

Source: YEN.com.gh