Over 4,200 Migrant Beggars, Illegal Immigrants Removed Since 2025 – Interior Minister

The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mubarak, has said the government has intensified the removal of migrant beggars and other illegal immigrants involved in criminal activities from Ghana’s streets as part of efforts to maintain public order and safeguard national security.

Addressing a press briefing on Monday, the Minister said the issue of migrant beggars, which has attracted public attention in recent times, has not been ignored by government and the security services.

“Ghana occupies a unique position in our subregion. We are an oasis of peace and stability in a region that has, in recent years, faced significant security and economic challenges. This explains the urge of people from countries experiencing difficulties in the subregion to look to Ghana for refuge. But we also have a duty to protect our borders, maintain public order and safeguard our national security and economic interests,” he said.

According to him, by the end of 2025, 2,281 migrant beggars and 774 other illegal immigrants involved in transnational organised crimes had been removed from Ghana.

By July 2026, a further 960 migrant beggars and 186 other illegal immigrants had been removed, bringing the total to over 4,200.

Muntaka Mubarak said the removals are being pursued with full consciousness of Ghana’s obligations under the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, as well as the country’s diplomatic relations and longstanding ties with other countries.

“Our objective is to reduce irregular migration and unlawful activities associated with it to the barest minimum, while ensuring that enforcement action is lawful, undertaken by the appropriate authorities, and carried out in a manner that is respectful of human dignity,” he stated.

The Interior Minister said the challenge is not a lack of political will, security intelligence or leadership, but principally a question of scale.

“I can assure the public that there is a high-level consensus, with earmarked logistical support to increase the scale of the removals and strengthen our borders. Evidence of that will soon be apparent,” he added.

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