Ghana attracting bad actors through ECOWAS free movement system — GIS laments abuse 

The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has raised concerns over what it describes as the increasing abuse of the ECOWAS Free Movement Protocol by some citizens within the sub-region.

According to the Service, activities such as irregular migration, child trafficking, cyber fraud and organised street begging are increasingly posing security threats to Ghana.

The concerns were raised during a meeting at the GIS Headquarters in Accra with a delegation from the West African Monetary Institute (WAMI), led by Dr. Abraham Abdulai.

The visit formed part of WAMI's assessment of challenges affecting the implementation of the ECOWAS protocol on free movement, trade and the use of the ECOWAS biometric identification system.

Deputy Comptroller-General of Immigration in charge of Command Post and Operations, Faisal Disu, said some individuals were taking advantage of the protocol to engage in criminal activities.

“Ghana is currently attracting a lot of bad actors into the country,” he stated, as quoted by a news release shared on Thursday, June 11.

Mr. Disu warned that proceeds from organised begging networks could potentially be used to finance terrorism and other criminal activities.

Discussions at the meeting also focused on the slow implementation of the ECOWAS National Biometric Identity Card, known locally as the Ghana Card.

Participants noted that only Ghana, Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire have fully implemented the system.

The meeting further identified currency differences among ECOWAS member states as one of the challenges affecting regional integration efforts.

Dr. Abdulai said findings from the ongoing exercise would help develop strategies and benchmarks to improve the implementation of ECOWAS protocols.

He noted that plans are being considered to establish a centralised database of ECOWAS citizens to strengthen border management across the region.

Meanwhile, the GIS also announced plans to strengthen border patrol operations to enhance national security while ensuring that the free movement protocol supports regional integration without compromising Ghana's safety and stability.