The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has removed 1,055 West African nationals from the streets of Accra and Kumasi in an intelligence-led operation targeting organised street begging and suspected human trafficking networks.
The operation was carried out in the early hours of Saturday, August 29, as part of efforts to rescue vulnerable people and disrupt networks allegedly involved in trafficking, controlling and exploiting foreign nationals, especially women and children.
The exercise took place at several locations in Accra and Kumasi that had been identified as hotspots for street begging. Officers arrested and picked up more than 1,000 West African nationals during the operation.
The GIS said some Ghanaian nationals were also arrested for allegedly acting as local agents for the suspected begging networks.
In total, 1,055 people were apprehended. They included 662 children, 248 women and 145 men.
According to the GIS, the operation highlights a growing concern where children are allegedly trafficked and placed on the streets to beg for money from the public.
The Service said the operation was not only aimed at enforcing immigration laws but also at identifying and protecting people who may have been victims of human trafficking or other forms of exploitation.
In the Greater Accra Region, officers visited several areas identified as hotspots for organised street begging.
These included Abossey Okai, Sabon Zongo, Madina Zongo Junction, Madina, Ashaiman and Tema.
In the Ashanti Region, the GIS also carried out operations in different parts of the Kumasi Metropolis. The areas included Asawase, Alabar, Akwatia Line, Dagomba Line, Sabon Zongo, Airport Junction and Aboabo.
The Service said the coordinated operation was designed to target and disrupt the networks behind organised street begging across different locations, rather than simply removing individual beggars from the streets.
