The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, says the government has intensified efforts to address illegal immigration, migrant begging and other unlawful activities in Ghana.
According to him, a total of 2,281 migrant beggars and 774 other illegal immigrants involved in transnational organised crime were removed from Ghana by the end of 2025.
He said a further 960 migrant beggars and 186 other illegal immigrants had been removed by July 2026.
Addressing concerns over the growing presence of migrant beggars on the streets, Mr Mohammed-Mubarak said Ghana’s reputation as a peaceful and stable country continues to attract people from countries facing security and economic challenges.
“Before I sequentially account for the work of the Ministry for the Interior thus far, I want to address an issue that has understandably attracted public attention in recent times: the presence of beggars on our streets, especially migrant beggars and others involved in illegal activities,” he said.
The Minister assured the public that the government and security agencies had not ignored the concerns.
“As Minister, I acknowledge the concerns and anxieties of citizens and wish to assure the public that this is not an issue that has been ignored by the Government or the security services,” he stated.
Mr Mohammed-Mubarak said Ghana remained committed to its obligations under the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement of Persons but also had a responsibility to protect its borders and safeguard national security and public order.
“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,” he said.
“But we also have a duty to protect our borders, maintain public order and safeguard our national security and economic interests.”
He said the government’s removal exercises were being carried out with due consideration for Ghana’s regional and international obligations.
“We are pursuing these removals fully conscious of Ghana’s obligations under the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, as well as our diplomatic relations and longstanding ties with other countries,” he added.
The Minister stressed that the objective was not simply to remove migrants but to reduce irregular migration and unlawful activities while ensuring that enforcement remained lawful and respected human dignity.
“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.
Mr Mohammed-Mubarak further assured the public that the government had the political will and resources to scale up the exercise.
“Let me be clear: the challenge before us is not a lack of political will, security intelligence, or leadership. It is, principally, a question of scale,” he said.
He added that logistical support had been earmarked to increase the scale of removals and strengthen Ghana’s borders.
“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 said.
The Interior Minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to balancing Ghana’s tradition of hospitality with the need to protect national security and public order.
“We will continue to protect Ghana’s tradition of hospitality, but we will do so alongside a firm commitment to the rule of law, national security and public order,” he concluded.
