While the world has adopted various measures to combat the coronavirus pandemic, Chinese authorities are beginning to eject Africans from their homes and hotels, over claims that they are importing the virus back into the country.
Africans in Guangdong and Fujian Provinces, who are mostly affected, are lamenting the move by the Chinese, fearing that they could be exposed to the virus.
Africans in China, who confirmed the ejection said that the government is employing force to eject foreigners from their homes.
They said: “There are claims that blacks are the ones now importing coronavirus into China.
“Foreigners and particularly black people, are currently not allowed to access public places, including malls, restaurants, and hospitals.
“They have Landlords to evict them, they chase them out of hotels, and make them go through all sorts, because of coronavirus.”
To quell the ejections, a meeting was held between the African community Leaders in Guangzhou and the Chinese government.
Despite resolutions and positive outcome from the meeting, it was gathered that the evictions were yet to come to an end.
“The Leaders of the African community in Guangzhou, had a meeting with government Officials in the city, two days ago, and discussions centred on all those issues.
“That is not to say the evictions have stopped. Africans are all in the open now, under the rain, with nowhere to go”, one of the affected persons said.
In a letter to the Consul-General of Ghana’s Consulate Office in Guangzhou, the Chinese authorities claimed that the city was making all-out efforts to prevent the spread of the disease, and protect the health and safety of everyone in Guangzhou.
“I would like to keep you informed that for the good of public health, anyone (including Chinese nationals) with overseas-travel records, will be required to undergo an epidemic investigation and PCR testing”, the letter to the Ghanaian government read.
In a notice to foreigners in the affected Provinces, the Chinese Government said:
“From April 5 to April 7, according to relevant government departments, the streets will organise African tenants within their jurisdictions, to carry out nucleic acid screening at designated sites (open space in front of the neighbourhood committee). Owners/residents are requested to know and inform their families.”
Meanwhile, in a follow-up directive, the Ghana Mission implored Ghanaians to avoid taking the test, if they have not had any travel history outside their current jurisdiction, in the past three months.
Evicted foreigners are calling on the African Union, AU, and United Nations, UN, to intervene to stop the ongoing eviction in Guangdong and Fujian Province.
