GIS rescues over 600 migrants in second major crackdown on street begging networks in Kumasi

The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has intensified its nationwide crackdown on organised street begging networks, rescuing more than 600 undocumented migrants in a major operation in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.

According to a statement issued on April 21, 2026, the operation was carried out by the Ashanti Regional Command in the early hours of Tuesday, beginning at about 03:30 hours. It targeted known hotspots including Asawase, Alabar, Akwatia Line, Dagomba Line, Sabon Zongo and Aboabo.

A total of 606 individuals were rounded up, comprising 381 children, 72 females and 153 males. Authorities believe many of those rescued are victims of human trafficking and forced street begging.

The GIS said the exercise forms part of a broader national campaign aimed at dismantling exploitative networks that traffic vulnerable individuals, particularly children, into street begging.

In a related operation conducted on April 15 in parts of the Greater Accra Region, including Abossey Okai, Zongo Junction, Nima, Madina and Kaneshie, the Service facilitated the repatriation of 356 West African nationals to their home countries, namely Niger, Nigeria and Burkina Faso.

The Service emphasised that its actions are not targeted at lawful migrants under the ECOWAS free movement framework, but rather at criminal elements exploiting migration systems for trafficking and other irregular activities.

As part of ongoing interventions, the GIS, working with the Nigerian High Commission in Accra, assisted 89 Nigerian nationals to regularise their documentation and coordinated their handover to anti human trafficking authorities in Nigeria.

The Service also disclosed that it has been engaging various African diplomatic missions in Accra to ensure a coordinated and humane response, particularly in protecting vulnerable children and destitute persons caught in such networks.

The Comptroller General of Immigration, Samuel Basintale Amadu, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to enforcing immigration laws while respecting regional protocols.

“The Ghana Immigration Service remains resolute in safeguarding Ghana’s borders and enforcing immigration laws, while upholding our obligations under the ECOWAS Protocol. We will continue to strike a balance between regional integration and decisive action against trafficking and exploitation,” he stated.

The GIS further reminded the public that the Beggars and Destitute Act, 1969 (NLCD 392), prohibits street begging, with offenders liable to fines, imprisonment of up to three months, or both.

It urged members of the public to report suspicious activities involving foreign nationals to the nearest immigration office as efforts continue to clamp down on exploitative networks across the country.