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The Ghana Immigration Service has conducted an intelligence-led operation in the Ashanti Region, rescuing 606 undocumented migrants from exploitative street begging networks in Kumasi, the Deputy Commissioner of Immigration, Maud Anima Quainoo, has said.
Quainoo, in a press release on Tuesday, said the operation commenced at 3:30 a.m. on April 21, 2026, targeting identified 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. Many of those rescued are believed to be victims of human trafficking and forced begging,” Quainoo said.
“This exercise forms part of a nationwide GIS campaign to address the growing menace of organised street begging networks across the country.”
In a related operation on April 15, 2026, in parts of the Greater Accra Region, including Abossey Okai, Zongo Junction, Nima, Madina, and Kaneshie, the Service facilitated the safe repatriation of 356 West African nationals to their home countries of Niger, Nigeria, and Burkina Faso.
Quainoo said the Service, in collaboration with the Nigerian High Commission in Accra, assisted 89 Nigerian nationals to regularise their documentation and facilitated their handover to relevant anti-human trafficking authorities in Nigeria.
The Comptroller-General of Immigration, Samuel Basintale Amadu, said, “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.”
Quainoo reminded the public that the Beggars and Destitute Act, 1969 (NLCD 392), prohibits street begging by both citizens and non-citizens, with offenders liable to fines, imprisonment of up to three months, or both.
She encouraged members of the public to report suspicious activities involving foreign nationals to the nearest GIS office.
— Ghana Immigration Service (@Gha_Immigration) April 21, 2026
