A total of 38 foreigners from various countries have naturalised as Ghanaians effective Wednesday.

The 38, who are from Britain, Lebanon, the United States, Spain and other African countries, were each issued with a certificate of naturalisation by the Accra High Court on Wednesday.

This was after they had taken the oath of allegiance to Ghana at the High Court, having satisfied all the legal requirements. This means they have now truly become full Ghanaians.

They can now apply for a Ghanaian passport and register to become a voter to be able to vote in all elections in the country, Deputy Interior Minister James Agalga told TV3 Online.

“What we usually look out for is that, and of course, that is the requirement of the law; you should be able to demonstrate that you are somebody who is capable of contributing your quota to the development of Ghana,” he said.

He said authorities also investigated the background of all the people to ensure they had no criminal record, adding they also considered the extent to which they have all assimilated into the Ghanaian culture.

“What it means is that if you take the oath of allegiance you truly become Ghanaian. The essence of taking that oath simply means that from now onwards they’re Ghanaians and are prepared to act as such and defend the territorial integrity of Ghana, to preserved and to protect our constitution,” Mr. Agalga said