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Orthopedic Surgeon protests
Spanish entry visa refusal
(He is a Consultant
Orthopedic Surgeon at the KorleBu Teaching Hospital)
The Deputy Head of Mission
Embassy of Spain
Accra, Ghana
26th April 2015
Dear Sir:
I applied for a short-term visa to attend a medical
conference in Barcelona from 26th April to 29th
April 2015 and by your response dated 22nd April
2015 I had been denied an entry visa to your
country. As was written in your rejection letter, I
have an option of lodging a
contentious-administrative appeal at the High Court
of Justice of Madrid (Spain) within a two-month
deadline counting from the date of serving. Since it
is nigh impossible for me to get myself to Madrid
and lodge my appeal I have decided to personally
write to you for some clarification.
The reasons for denying me an entry visa were that
the information regarding the justification for the
purpose and conditions of the intended stay was not
reliable and also that my intention to leave your
country before the expiry of the visa could not be
ascertained.
I know it is your prerogative to decide whom to
grant a visa to but I feel personally insulted for
the reasons you have given for the denial.
I am a highly trained orthopedic surgeon with
specialty interest in orthopedic sports medicine and
complex joint reconstruction. I have been a doctor
for the past 20yrs. My current positions are:
Consultant Orthopedic Surgeon at the KorleBu
Teaching Hospital.
Lecturer at the University of Ghana Medical School
Fellow of the West African College of Surgeons
Consultant for West Africa Rescue Association WARA.
(I treat patients from the expatriate and diplomatic
community including quite a number from Spain)
I am
sure if you were to injure yourself, am the most
likely surgeon that you will be referred to.
I have attended medical conferences in Germany,
Switzerland, South Africa, Japan, Canada, USA and
Norway. Incidentally all these countries found my
purpose for travelling justifiable except you. The
letter of invitation I presented to you was written
by a renowned surgeon in Madrid who trained in the
same institution as I did in the United States. But
I guess you did not find a letter written by such a
person credible enough.
I find it laughable that you think I will not return
to Ghana and end up as an illegal immigrant in Spain
where people of my skin tone are treated as
second-class citizens. I have a wife and children
whom I do not intend to abandon. Although I do not
consider myself wealthy, I am very comfortable
economically and have investments in property and
other assets in Ghana. How did you ever come to the
conclusion that I was a flight risk?
May I kindly remind you of some basic facts about
your country?
The unemployment rate in Spain presently is 25% and
youth unemployment tops 50%. Why will I leave a
stable job and to go and join the unemployment ranks
in your country.
From January 2009 to end of 2013, 400,000 Spaniards
emigrated to look for work outside of your country.
And this is expected to rise in the coming years.
Doctors in Spain are the least/worst paid in the
whole Euro zone. Why will I want to go work in a
country where my counterparts are leaving in droves
for economic reasons?
In the year 2012, it is on record that 2405 medical
doctors applied for certification to work abroad,
according to The Medical Spanish Association – a 75%
increase compared with 2011. 83% of doctors seek
jobs in Europe (mainly the UK and France) and 7%
America.
In 2009, the Health Ministry warned that there was a
shortage and that the country needed around 3,200
more doctors. By 2025, at the present rate the
shortfall will be around 25,000. The Spanish
government has talked of increasing the number of
university and medical school places, as well as
making it easier for overseas personnel to work
here.
Sir, as a representative of the country of Spain you
have failed woefully in your responsibility to
promote the interest of your country by denying me a
visa. My skill, knowledge and experience will be
invaluable to the Spanish people even if I decided
not to come back to Ghana. Furthermore, my budget
for this conference topped € 5000. This is the
amount of money that would have been injected into
the Spanish economy in a week. Can you imagine the
economic loss if all the doctors from all over the
world attending this conference were denied entry
into Spain? I was due to present two papers and
since I was not able to go I have informed the
conveners of the conference of my inability to
attend. This is an international conference and can
you imagine the embarrassment your compatriot
doctors will feel when it is announced that I could
not present my scientific papers because you denied
me a visa? Never mind that I cannot get a full
refund for my ticket and my total booking for the
hotel is not refundable.
Given the reason for visa rejection, a detailed
explanation on which aspects of my application did
not provide sufficient evidence that I will return
to Ghana is most welcome. I am particularly curious
to know of the lofty economic standards set for
Ghanaians to visit to Spain when Spaniards
themselves barely meet these standards.
Yours truly,
Dr. Agbeko Ocloo MB.ChB FWACS
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
Cc:
The Ambassador
Embassy of Spain
Accra, Ghana |
