A group of aspiring footballers from Ghana have found themselves stranded in a village in the southern Polish highlands after being scammed into traveling to Europe for placements that never happened.
The 15 men who have no money for return tickets after paying everything they had to cover the €5,000–6,000 price of the trip, were lured on promises of playing for Polish clubs with a view to developing careers in Europe.
But when they arrived in the village of Jurgów, near the border with Slovakia, they discovered their dreams were dashed.
Arriving in the highland village in mid-summer, locals said they were very friendly and had explained they had come to Poland for group training. Two months later, however, many are still in the village and have been served orders to leave the country by border authorities.
The agent responsible for the players coming to Poland, Krzysztof Wojtanek, told news portal Onet that eight of 10 of the men who had received expulsion decisions had already flown home, leaving two still in Jurgów with no right to remain.
He said their flights involved connections in the U.K. that exceeded the statutory 24-hour transit limit by 30 minutes. Others are facing the prospect of expulsion as their temporary visas approach expiry.
Wojtanek, described by Onet as a self-taught agent, said his agency had borne the costs of the players’ stay and return, to the tune of over 100,000 złoty (€23,400), and promised he would fulfil his legal obligation to get all the men home.
He added that he had also been cheated by the head of a football academy in Ghana who had failed to take care of visa formalities, leaving the players facing orders to leave.
But when they arrived in the village of Jurgów, near the border with Slovakia, they discovered their dreams were dashed.
Arriving in the highland village in mid-summer, locals said they were very friendly and had explained they had come to Poland for group training. Two months later, however, many are still in the village and have been served orders to leave the country by border authorities.
The agent responsible for the players coming to Poland, Krzysztof Wojtanek, told news portal Onet that eight of 10 of the men who had received expulsion decisions had already flown home, leaving two still in Jurgów with no right to remain.
He said their flights involved connections in the U.K. that exceeded the statutory 24-hour transit limit by 30 minutes. Others are facing the prospect of expulsion as their temporary visas approach expiry.
Wojtanek, described by Onet as a self-taught agent, said his agency had borne the costs of the players’ stay and return, to the tune of over 100,000 złoty (€23,400), and promised he would fulfil his legal obligation to get all the men home.
He added that he had also been cheated by the head of a football academy in Ghana who had failed to take care of visa formalities, leaving the players facing orders to leave.
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