After a distressing four-month ordeal, 81-year-old Ghanaian-born British citizen Hannah Dankwa finally returned to her home in the United Kingdom in September. What began as a minor “irregularity” in her travel documents, according to officials, escalated into a viral battle for recognition, dignity, and crucial healthcare access.
Her return was confirmed on September 11, 2025, bringing relief to her family and supporters who had grown increasingly anxious as weeks turned into months.
Reacting to her safe return in an interview with Channel 4 News, Dankwa expressed her deep gratitude and relief to finally be reunited with her loved ones.
“I feel really good because all of my children and grandchildren were born here [in the United Kingdom]. So I don’t see the point why they were discriminating against me. They just left me there,” she said.
Akua Duah, her daughter, couldn’t believe her mother’s UK resident status was ever questioned.
“We were shocked. Mum has travelled from the UK to Ghana and back with the same documents for over 40 years,” she said in disbelief. For her, the experience highlighted what she called inconsistencies and injustices within immigration enforcement.
Akua questioned why, after decades of lawful residency and travel, her mother suddenly faced obstacles to returning home. She told Channel 4 News that the situation raised uncomfortable questions about the way older Commonwealth citizens—especially those from former British colonies—are treated.
It all began when Dankwa, who is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, traveled from the UK to Kumasi, Ghana, with her daughter, Akua Duah. However, what was intended to be a brief two-week family holiday transformed into a months-long ordeal after she was denied boarding for her return flight.
“I feel really, really terrible. Really terrible. I just don’t know what to do,” Dankwa said in an earlier interview with Channel 4 News.
Her daughter, who described their situation as “a nightmare,” also said at the time, “We were shocked. Mum has travelled from the UK to Ghana and back with the same documents for over 40 years. There has never been a problem. Now, she and I have been stuck in a hotel room for months because of this discrepancy.”
For weeks, the two women remained in Ghana, appealing to authorities on both sides for assistance. The family wrote repeatedly to UK officials, including the Home Office, pleading for intervention to allow Dankwa to return home for her ongoing cancer treatment.
According to earlier reports, the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) confirmed her active chemotherapy treatment and stressed the urgency of her return, warning that she required close medical supervision. Still, weeks passed without resolution.
“We’re left in limbo, not knowing what is happening next,” Akua said at the time. “We just go week by week.”
Dankwa, born in Kumasi in 1944 during Ghana’s time as a British colony, belongs to the Windrush generation. This group encompasses not only Caribbean migrants but all Commonwealth citizens who relocated to Britain before 1973.
Like many others of her generation, she built a life in the UK, raised a family, and contributed to her community, never imagining that her right to travel freely would one day be questioned.
Channel 4 News first covered her story on August 28, 2025. Just 24 hours later, she was issued an emergency travel document.
When she finally returned to Britain in early September, her story had already sparked a broader conversation about the treatment of elderly immigrants and the ongoing consequences of the UK’s immigration policies.
Despite not holding a permanent British passport, Dankwa is a British citizen and long-term UK resident.
Her situation highlights the bureaucratic challenges faced by many, echoing long-standing criticisms that the UK’s immigration laws disproportionately affect elderly migrants from Commonwealth countries. This issue is a continuing consequence of the Windrush scandal, which first emerged in 2018.
Currently, Dankwa and her family are focused on recovery, both physically and emotionally. After months of uncertainty, Dankwa is now receiving medical care and is surrounded by her family in the country she has called home for most of her life.
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