Ghanaian immigration officials have detained over 2,000 undocumented foreign nationals in Accra as part of a major operation targeting criminal networks and street begging. Authorities reported that the raids, conducted early Friday morning, resulted in the arrest of 2,241 individuals, including 1,332 children.
In a statement, Ghana Immigration Services explained that the operation was part of broader efforts to address growing concerns about organized street begging, which is reportedly involving foreign nationals. Interior Minister Muntaka Mubarak, in a Facebook post, stated that the campaign was launched to tackle an issue that “poses a national security risk and tarnishes the image of our country.”
Mubarak pointed out that many of those arrested had entered Ghana through “unapproved routes,” bypassing necessary immigration procedures. The majority of those detained were from neighboring countries, including the junta-led Burkina Faso and Togo, with others coming from Nigeria and beyond.
Authorities have stated that they will carry out security and medical screenings before repatriating the individuals to their countries of origin, ensuring that the process is done in full respect of human rights and professionalism.
The crackdown has sparked mixed reactions from locals. John Gyamfi, a 43-year-old spare parts dealer, expressed support for the operation, calling it “long overdue.” He claimed, “Some of these foreigners engage in prostitution and street begging. It’s embarrassing when people mistake them for Ghanaians, tarnishing the good name of our country. If they leave, the streets will be cleaner.”
However, some of the detained migrants explained that their presence in Ghana was motivated by humanitarian needs rather than criminal intent. Chamsiya Alhassan, a mother from Niger, told AFP as she waited for a bus, “Finding food has become difficult for us. Our husbands and relatives have been killed. We are here only to find something to eat.”
The West African Sahel region has been grappling with escalating jihadist violence linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, forcing many to flee conflict zones into neighboring countries like Ghana.
