The Interior Minister, Honourable Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has disclosed that Ghana has intensified efforts to remove illegal migrants from the streets while strengthening measures to protect national security and public order. He explained that the initiative is being pursued alongside Ghana’s longstanding tradition of hospitality and its obligations under regional agreements.
Speaking at the Gvernment Accountability Series, Honourable Muntaka noted that Ghana’s position as a stable country within West Africa continued to attract people from countries facing security and economic difficulties. Against this backdrop, he indicated that government recognised the need to manage irregular migration while preserving the country’s reputation as a peaceful and welcoming nation.
According to the Interior Minister, the Ghana Immigration Service removed 2,281 migrant beggars from the streets and deported 774 other illegal immigrants linked to transnational organised crime by the end of 2025. The figures, he revealed, formed part of continuing enforcement measures aimed at addressing irregular migration and unlawful activities.
The latest operations have also produced further removals in major urban centres, with 960 migrant beggars taken from the streets of Kumasi and Accra by July 2026. During the same period, 186 other illegal immigrants were removed from Ghana as the authorities expanded operations against unlawful migration.
He stressed that the enforcement programme was being carried out with consideration for Ghana’s responsibilities under the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement of Persons. The Interior Ministry is also taking diplomatic relations and Ghana’s longstanding ties with neighbouring countries into account as the operations continue.
“We will continue to protect Ghana’s tradition of hospitality, but we also have a duty to protect our borders, maintain public order, and safeguard our national security and economic interests.”
Honourable Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak
Addressing the scale of the exercise, Honourable Muntaka explained that the main challenge facing the authorities is the volume of irregular migration and the resources required to respond effectively. He disclosed that government secured high level agreement and earmarked logistical support to expand removal operations and strengthen border controls.
The Minister also indicated that the measures would focus on reducing irregular migration to the lowest possible level through lawful procedures. He also stressed that enforcement would remain the responsibility of the appropriate authorities and would be conducted with respect for human dignity.
He therefore urged the public to understand the operations as part of a wider national security effort aimed at protecting public spaces and preserving order. The government would continue balancing Ghana’s humanitarian traditions with its responsibility to enforce immigration laws.
Election Violence Probe Advances As Security Agencies Pursue Cases
The Interior Minister also provided an update on investigations into election related violence recorded during Ghana’s 2020 and 2024 general elections. He disclosed that the investigation is part of a process initiated through a directive from President John Dramani Mahama in January 2025.
The presidential directive, issued on January 10, 2025, required a thorough and impartial investigation into incidents that threatened the integrity of the electoral process. Subsequently, the Inspector General of Police directed the Criminal Investigation Department to establish a special task force to investigate the reported cases.
The task force was assigned to examine incidents from both election periods and establish the circumstances surrounding each case. Its work was intended to provide a factual basis for determining the appropriate steps in cases where evidence established wrongdoing.
Honourable Muntaka explained that the investigation had continued for about 18 to 20 months as security agencies worked through the cases. He further indicated that the process had moved beyond the initial phase as investigators pursued additional information and assessed matters arising from the earlier findings.
The Interior Minister recalled that he presented the task force’s initial findings on November 4, 2025. Since then, investigators have continued examining cases and gathering information to support further action arising from the investigation.
From his perspective, the latest update represented another stage in efforts to strengthen accountability for electoral violence. The process also placed responsibility on the security agencies to establish the facts surrounding incidents recorded during the two elections.
The emphasis on impartial investigation is significant because electoral violence can affect public confidence in democratic institutions. Establishing the facts through an evidence based process therefore remains central to determining responsibility and deciding the appropriate legal response.
Referencing the President’s original directive, the Minister linked the investigation to the protection of Ghana’s democratic integrity. The approach also places the security agencies at the centre of efforts to ensure that incidents arising from elections receive proper institutional attention.
Meanwhile, the continuing work of the task force means that cases arising from the 2020 and 2024 elections remain subject to further examination. The Interior Ministry is expected to provide additional information on the progress of the investigations as the security agencies complete their work.
The latest disclosure therefore places both immigration enforcement and electoral accountability within the government’s wider security agenda. While the first area focuses on border management and public order, the second centres on strengthening confidence in Ghana’s democratic process through investigations and appropriate action.
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