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, conducted in the early hours of Saturday, August 29, 2026, was aimed at rescuing vulnerable persons and disrupting networks allegedly involved in trafficking, controlling and exploiting foreign nationals, particularly women and children.
The exercise covered several locations identified as hotspots for organised street begging in the Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions.
According to the GIS, a total of 1,055 persons were apprehended. They comprised 662 children, 248 women and 145 men.
Some Ghanaian nationals were also apprehended on suspicion of acting as local agents for the alleged exploitative begging networks.
The GIS said the operation was prompted by concerns over an emerging pattern in which children are allegedly trafficked and placed on the streets to solicit money from the public.
The Service explained that its intelligence-led approach was designed not only to enforce immigration laws but also to identify and protect people who may have become victims of human trafficking or other forms of exploitation.
Hotspots Targeted
In the Greater Accra Region, GIS officers conducted operations at several locations 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 operation covered parts of the Kumasi Metropolis, including Asawase, Alabar, Akwatia Line, Dagomba Line, Sabon Zongo, Airport Junction and Aboabo.
The GIS said the coordinated nature of the exercise was intended to disrupt organised networks operating across multiple locations rather than simply remove individual beggars from the streets.
The Service said further assessments would be undertaken to determine the circumstances surrounding the presence of the apprehended persons and identify those who may require protection or further assistance.
The operation forms part of broader efforts by the Ghana Immigration Service to address illegal migration, human trafficking and organised exploitation while protecting vulnerable persons within the country.
