Eighty-one-year-old Hannah Dankwa has finally made it back to her north London home after being stranded in Ghana for four months over a disputed birth-date error. She touched down at Heathrow in a bright green cardigan, welcomed with hugs, fried plantain, and fresh dishes lovingly prepared by her grandchildren.
Her nightmare began in April, when a 16-day holiday to visit family in Ghana turned into an unexpected exile. Airline officials flagged an “irregularity” with her date of birth and barred her from boarding her return flight. Despite her family providing medical records and proof of her right to live in the UK, officials dismissed the case, saying she did not “meet the threshold for an emergency.”
For months, her family battled bureaucracy, spending tens of thousands of pounds on legal fees. They even appealed to then–Home Office minister Seema Malhotra, but the government refused to budge. Relief only came after Channel 4 News spotlighted her case on August 28. Within 24 hours, the Home Office issued an emergency travel document.
Though grateful to be home, Hannah’s family say the ordeal highlights a system lacking compassion. Windrush Commissioner Reverend Clive Foster condemned the handling of her case, calling it a “failure of urgency” and pledging reforms to strengthen support for stranded citizens.
Hannah’s passport is still unresolved, and after decades of life in Britain, her family says the sting of being shut out of her own country will linger. For now, though, her return means she can restart vital cancer treatment—and reclaim some peace after months of uncertainty.
