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Ghana removed more than 3,000 foreign nationals, including migrant beggars and illegal immigrants linked to transnational organised crime, in 2025, Interior Minister Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed has disclosed.
According to the Minister, the Ghana Immigration Service removed 2,281 migrant beggars from the streets and deported another 774 illegal immigrants involved in transnational organised crime during the year.
He disclosed this on Monday, August 24, 2026, while updating the public at the Government Accountability Series.
Mr Muntaka said enforcement efforts had continued into 2026, with 960 migrant beggars removed from the streets of Accra and Kumasi, alongside 186 other illegal immigrants, as of July.
He explained that the government’s actions were being carried out within the framework of Ghana’s international obligations, particularly the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement of Persons.
“We are pursuing this removal fully conscious of Ghana’s obligation under the ECOWAS Protocol on free movement of persons as well as the diplomatic relations and long-standing ties we and other countries have,” he said.
The Interior Minister stressed that the government’s objective was to curb irregular migration and unlawful activities while ensuring that enforcement measures complied with the law and respected the dignity of those affected.
“Our objective is to reduce irregular migration and unlawful activities associated with it to the barest minimum, while ensuring that enforcement actions are lawful, undertaken by the appropriate authorities and carried out in a manner that is respectful of human dignity,” he stated.
Mr Muntaka also rejected suggestions that the government lacked the political will, intelligence or leadership to tackle irregular migration.
He said the major challenge was the skills and operational capacity required to effectively manage the situation.
“Let me be clear that the challenge before us is not a lack of political will, security, intelligence or leadership. It is principally a question of skill,” he said.
He assured the public that additional logistical support would be provided to strengthen the relevant institutions and expand the scale of enforcement operations.
“And I can assure the public that there is a high-level consensus that with earmarked logistical support to increase the scale of the removals and strengthen our bodies, evidence of that will soon be apparent,” he added.
The Minister reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to maintaining its tradition of hospitality while ensuring that national security, public order and the rule of law are upheld.