Ghana Immigration warns: Submit foreign returns or face prosecution

The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has sent a strong warning to companies which employ expatriates, insisting they submit annual returns of such workers or face prosecution.

This comes on the heels of an arrest of 40 illegal Chinese miners in the country late last year.

Speaking on Joy Midday News, Public Relations Director, Francis Palm-Beti said his outfit would not hesitate to drag any such company which flouts the immigration laws to court.

According to him, the annual returns helps his outfit keep a tab on the number of foreigners working in such companies, and as such, they are able to fish out illegal foreign workers.

He therefore implored them to follow due process.
“This annual returns serves the enforcement unit better. Once we are able to get this information, including the physical location and address of the organization, then they can do effective follow-ups to check whether indeed the number of employees you have indicated to have in your company is true or false,” he said.

“The law says that once you are notified of your non-compliance to this law, within 7 days you are supposed to pay a fine of GH¢500. Failure to do that, will then compel us to send you to court and the court has the option of either imposing a higher penalty or imprisoning whoever is supposed to take responsibility,” he warned.

Mr Palm-Beti said the 40 illegal miners arrested late last year have since been repatriated back to their homeland.