Thieving illegal immigrant

I wonder if paying your yearly dues should be the only measure of a lawyer in good standing. Apart from being reminded of my illegal immigrant status today, I also realised I am a thief. A petty one perhaps, but a thief none the same.

I've been trying to arrange so that a friend who's coming to visit can get a visa on arrival. Up until last year this was very easy, you just arrive and stand in the right queue with $100 ready and you're through. Since January though, Immigration has tightened the rules and now the person inviting you needs to get approval of the Director of Immigration before they'll let you through. Anyway, a few minutes after calling my contact at immigration for information, he calls me back to remind me that since I am not even a Ghanaian and on top of it don't hold a valid residence permit, I'm the worst person to invite a foreigner into the country! You'd think I could've worked that one out myself. I guess it's time I work on my own permit before visitors start pouring in for Christmas (I returned to Ghana after the wedding on a visa on arrival, then forgot all about my permit).

This evening as I was reading through my favourite interior design porn, I realised writing I had never noticed on the front of the IKEA catalogue.


See for yourselves: "...THIS CATALOGUE...PLEASE RETURN IT TO THE CHECKOUT AS YOU LEAVE"

I must have looked like the cheekiest little thief as I actually picked my catalogue up from the checkout, directly put it in my bag and walked out!

This evening, sushi at Monsoon was cancelled and I never made it to the textile exhibition at Goethe Institute, instead I'm going to continue browsing my way through my pile of interior design porn.


Enjoy your evening!

How do I get out?

So, I am still here illegally. I've taken it in my stride, handed in all relevant documents a few weeks ago, but it seems unless you really call in your contacts nothing happens. Wasn't really concerned until I realised it may affect a planned trip off the continent. So a few days ago, I changed strategy and applied for a re-entry visa.

Today, as I was called in to sign a document, I happened to mention that one of the big shots at Immigration was my classmate at Law School. 'Oh, madam, but then call her!' the immigration officer burst out, 'that will solve all your problems, your visa will be ready tomorrow morning'. So I was forced to try her number. This is what I had dreaded. How can I only pick up my phone and call this person whenever I need something, especially when I never spoke to her in school, except to say good morning? In my world it seems rude, greedy somehow, or åpen as we'd say in Swedish to just take from one person, and never give back. After she sorted out my residence permit last year and helped me with some work issues, I promised myself I'd at least call or text at Christmas to show kindness without favour, but of course I forgot.

Anyway, now that I finally called her, her phone is off and the status of my application unknown as the date of departure grows scarily close. But really, what's the worst that could happen? Can't I just leave the country and pay for visa on arrival on my way back in?

I'll keep you posted...

This immigrant

I must confess something. I am currently an illegal immigrant. As of Monday my residence permit expired. I have known of this for, oh well, a year, but couldn’t be bothered to go through the tedious procedure of visiting Ghana Immigration Service. Virgo threatens to report me to the authorities and have me deported.

I, being an optimist, choose to see the positive side of that: would I really say no to a free trip to Sweden in July? Think not. Mm, the money I’d save on my ticket could go to city hopping across Europe – London, Paris, Brussels to see J and Maastricht to visit N, back to Gothenburg for a one day trip to Copenhagen, a visit to K in Getinge and maybe a weekend in Stockholm for a change. Then, when I feel like coming back to Ghana, I could marry Virgo for my residency, or become a passport wife to any Ghanaian who’d want to marry an EU-passport holder.

Hm…maybe I’ll just turn myself in…