TIG Post

Tag: Ghana Immigration Service

  • Security recruitment: Minority presses govt to refund GHS113m registration fees to unsuccessful applicants

    Security recruitment: Minority presses govt to refund GHS113m registration fees to unsuccessful applicants

    The controversy surrounding the government’s ongoing recruitment into Ghana’s security services continues to dominate discussions in Parliament and among scores of Ghanaians.


    Addressing the press on Thursday, March 12, the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, John Ntim Fordjour, pressed the government to refund about GH¢113 million of registration fees collected from applicants who failed to progress to the medical screening stage.


    Most applicants were dropped from the recruitment process, which began last year, after failing an online aptitude test organised by the government.

    The online test which was confronted with a lot of challenges, according to reports, was generated using artificial intelligence (AI).

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    In a media engagement on Wednesday, March 11, the Interior Minister, Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka, revealed that the government will only employ only 5,000 individuals out of the 105,000 applicants who have made it to the last stage.


    He further disclosed that about 500,000 applications were submitted by Ghanaian youth. “Are you going to allow over 400,000 people to go and do medicals when you know you have space for only 5,000? How fair are you to the people? You need to devise a method to slow down the numbers and have a reasonable figure.


    “So at 65, as we speak, we still have 105,000 that have qualified for medicals when in actual sense the total number that we can now take after medicals is 5,000,” he added.


    Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday, March 10, Mr. Muntaka explained that authorities set the pass mark for the recruitment examinations at 65 to control the number of candidates progressing to the medical stage.


    Reacting to the Interior Minister’s revelation, the Minority of Parliament has called the entire recruitment process a Ponzi scheme to extort from suffering youth.

    The caucus has questioned why the government would accept applications from half a million persons when it intends to employ a small number.


    With immediate effect, the Minority in Parliament has pressed the government to refund monies collected from the affected applicants.
    “Already, we have a national security threat and unemployment on our hands. You promised them jobs. You didn’t add any conditions. Then you turn around, you politically expand the age limit from twenty-five to thirty-five, signaling that there is more room and more access, more financial clearance, which was a lie.


    “You knew from the very beginning you were recruiting only 5,000, and yet you did all this to lure half a million people, took their money, milked them GH¢113 million cedis and over, only to turn around yesterday, after you have knocked them out by technology and internet disruptions from the aptitude test,” he said.


    The development has left scores of Ghanaians, particularly affected applicants, criticising the government. Some unsuccessful applicants say they answered the questions without engaging in examination malpractice, yet failed the test, while others who allegedly outsmarted the system have qualified.


    Prior to the test, the Ministry of the Interior Ghana warned applicants against cheating, stating that the system used for the online aptitude test had been designed to detect and disqualify individuals who attempted any form of malpractice.


    Some applicants have also recounted how they purchased recruitment forms for multiple security agencies, including the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Prisons Service, Ghana National Fire Service, and the Ghana Immigration Service, but were denied the opportunity to proceed after failing the aptitude test.


    Under the recruitment guidelines, applicants who fail the aptitude test are automatically eliminated from the process, regardless of the number of forms purchased, since only one test is taken for all the security agencies. Others have also disclosed that although they initially qualified for the test, they were later disqualified after revisiting their recruitment portals.


    Despite the frustrations expressed by many disqualified applicants, the Interior Minister, Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka, maintains that the recruitment exercise has been free and fair, unlike those organised by previous governments.

    He explained that the government introduced a third-party aptitude test with a pass mark of 65% as a measure to manage the large number of applicants.


    Meanwhile, some grassroots members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) who were disqualified from the process have expressed disappointment in the government. They claim the administration has turned its back on them despite their role in helping the party return to power.


    However, the Minister indicated that the recruitment process will not end this year. According to him, applicants who successfully pass the medical examination but are unable to secure placement this year will be considered for employment in the following year.


    “I know a lot of young people may be disappointed, but they should exercise restraint as this is not going to be the first and last recruitment that the government is going to have,” the Minister noted.


    Recruitment into Ghana’s security services has frequently been criticised as a process susceptible to corruption, with reports alleging that some individuals pay substantial sums of money to secure positions within agencies such as the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Prisons Service, Ghana National Fire Service, and the Ghana Immigration Service.

  • Government clears one-year rent allowance owed to security services

    Government clears one-year rent allowance owed to security services

    Personnel of Ghana’s security services are set to receive relief as the government announces payment of their 2025 rent allowance, which has been in arrears for the past year.

    In a formal statement shared by the Ministry of the Interior on Monday, March  2, it revealed that it has released funds to settle outstanding rent allowance arrears owed to personnel of the Ghana Prisons Service, Ghana National Fire Service, and Ghana Immigration Service for the 2025 financial year.

    It said, “The Ministry of the Interior wishes to inform the public, particularly personnel of the Ghana Prisons Service, Ghana National Fire Service, and Ghana Immigration Service, that the Government has released funds for the payment of the outstanding rent allowance for the year 2025. This payment covers the arrears owed to eligible personnel across these services”.

    The statement continued with a statement of gratitude and appreciation to the security service for their patience during the last year.

    “The Ministry appreciates the patience and understanding demonstrated by the affected officers during this period. Furthermore, the Ministry wishes to announce that the payment process for rent allowance has been mechanised going forward,” the statement added.

    This payment covers all eligible officers across the three security services who were affected by the delay.

    In a statement issued by the Ministry’s Public Affairs and Communications Unit, the government expressed appreciation to the affected personnel for their patience and understanding during the period the allowances remained outstanding.

    The Ministry also announced a major reform in the payment system to prevent future delays. Beginning March 2026, rent allowance payments will be mechanised and processed alongside officers’ monthly salaries.

    The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to the welfare of officers under its supervision and assured that it will continue to work with the Ministry of Finance and other relevant stakeholders to ensure all entitlements are paid promptly.

    While, the rent allowance for Ghana’s security services is not a constitutional entitlement written directly into the 1992 Constitution, it is a policy-based allowance that has been part of the conditions of service for these agencies for many years. It is meant to support personnel who do not have government-provided accommodation, helping them cover housing costs.

    Given the essentiality of their services, accommodation is considered a major condition of service to ensure stability and welfare.

    History behind security service barriers, challenges so far

    Sometime in the 1800s, during the colonial era, was when the first police and military barracks were built. The government, at the time, adopted it as a policy-based allowance to help house officers close to their duty stations, ensuring that they could be mobilised quickly when needed.

    After independence in 1957, successive governments continued the practice of building barracks and service quarters for the Police, Prisons, Fire, Immigration, and Armed Forces.

    However, despite these efforts, the rapid expansion of the security services meant that the available housing stock could never keep pace with recruitment. As the number of officers grew, the demand for accommodation far outstripped supply, creating a persistent shortfall that continues to this day.

    In an unrelated development, the Ghana Police Service (GPS) received a boost as President John Mahama handed over 100 pickup vehicles to the service.

    Speaking during the handing over event held at the Police Headquarters in Accra on Thursday, January 8, President Mahama described the move as one of the many efforts by his outfit to strengthen capacity and improve the assets and equipment of the police force.

    According to President Mahama, this presentation marks the first batch of the many vehicles the government will present to the police force. This, he highlighted, will enhance police visibility and accessibility.

    He said, “These 100 pickups are the first batch of several pickups that we shall be presenting to the Police Service. These are operational necessities. They will improve patrols, reduce response time, extend policing to hard-to-reach areas, and strengthen police visibility nationwide,” the President said.

    He explained that the vehicles will enable officers to respond to emergencies more efficiently and operate more safely, particularly in remote and underserved communities.

    “In simple terms, they will get the police to where they are needed faster and safer,” President Mahama added.

    President Mahama also charged the Inspector-General of Police and the leadership of the Police Service to maintain the vehicles and ensure their proper use, promoting responsibility and professionalism while avoiding public waste, emphasising that his government will not tolerate any form of misuse.

    “To the Inspector-General of Police and the leadership of the Police Service, these vehicles are entrusted to you on behalf of the people of Ghana. They are instruments of service, not symbols of power. They must be properly deployed, professionally used, carefully maintained, and fully accounted for. This administration will not tolerate misuse, waste, or indiscipline. Every resource provided for national security must deliver real value to the Ghanaian people.

    “As we strengthen capacity, we are equally committed to professionalism and accountability. A strong police service must be lawful. Authority must always be exercised with restraint, and respect for human rights is non-negotiable. The uniform confers authority, but it also demands responsibility,” he said.

    Inspector General of Police, Christian Tetteh Yohuno, expressed deep appreciation to the President and reaffirmed the Police Service’s commitment to safeguarding the assets and using them effectively.

    “I wish to express the heartfelt appreciation of the Ghana Police Service to you,” the IGP said. “We assure you of our loyalty and our commitment to protect these assets, deploy them wisely, and use them relentlessly in the service of peace, safety, and national stability.”

    IGP Yohuno further assured that the Ghana Police Service remains committed to playing its role in national development and reform.

    “As we move forward, the Ghana Police stands to do its part in the national reset, firm in law enforcement, conduct, and in the defence of our nation,” he stated.

  • Immigration officials clash with U.S. deportees during forced eviction attempt from a hotel in Accra

    Immigration officials clash with U.S. deportees during forced eviction attempt from a hotel in Accra

    Chaos erupted at the VICSEM Hotel in Ogbojo on Tuesday afternoon when officers from the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) attempted to forcibly remove a group of deportees recently returned from the United States.

    Eyewitnesses said the officers arrived in vehicles and tried to move the deportees from the hotel where they had been lodged since their arrival. Viral videos from the scene show a woman being dragged on the floor into a waiting vehicle, drawing public outrage on social media.

    The purpose of the removal remains unclear, but the action appears linked to efforts to relocate the returnees from the facility.

    The deportees form part of an ongoing repatriation arrangement between Ghana and the United States under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) first established during the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump.

    Government officials have maintained that the agreement is legally binding but does not require parliamentary approval, distinguishing it from treaties or defence pacts. They have also defended Ghana’s acceptance of the deportees as a humanitarian gesture, citing reports of harsh treatment faced by Ghanaians abroad.

    The incident, however, has reignited political debate over the repatriation policy. The Minority in Parliament had earlier accused the government of bypassing parliamentary oversight in accepting 14 deportees under the same arrangement.

    Public concern has further grown following a statement by Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa that Ghana expects to receive an additional 40 West African deportees from the United States.

    Human rights lawyer Oliver Barker-Vormawor, who represents some of the returnees, has accused the government of facilitating the deportation of individuals to countries where their lives are in danger. He argues that the U.S. government could not deport these persons directly because they were granted protection on the grounds of a “genuine fear of persecution.”

    By accepting them, he says, Ghana has effectively become an intermediary in the deportation process.

    Months ago, the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) launched a major operation to curb the growing number of foreign street beggars in Accra, leading to the arrest of more than 2,000 individuals across the city.

    The exercise, carried out on Friday, May 16, 2025, resulted in the apprehension of 2,241 foreign nationals, including 384 adult males, 577 male children, 525 adult females, and 755 female children.

    Assistant Commissioner of Immigration and Head of Public Affairs, Mike Amoako-Atta, told TV3 that those arrested were undergoing profiling and medical screening before being relocated.

    “The GIS clinic is attending to them, and after the medical checks, a team undertakes the profiling before they are transported to their various destinations. We also review their documentation to determine how they entered the country and whether their stay is legal,” he explained.

    He emphasized that the Service remained committed to upholding its core values, particularly in safeguarding human rights during the operation. He added that special care was taken to ensure that families were not separated.

    “We are not removing children who are not accompanied by their parents, and we are ensuring that family units remain together,” he stated.

    The GIS operation followed rising concerns about the increasing number of foreign beggars in Accra, many of whom occupy traffic intersections, markets, and busy commercial areas. Authorities say the development poses humanitarian and security challenges, prompting coordinated enforcement efforts.

    Months ago, Ghana entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States titled “Memorandum of Understanding on Repatriation and Temporary Hosting of West African Nationals.” The agreement allows Ghana to accept deportees and temporarily host certain West African nationals deported from the United States, including individuals who may not be Ghanaian citizens.

    By October 2025, reports indicated that 42 deportees had been dropped off in neighbouring countries such as Togo and Nigeria, raising serious human rights concerns about their safety and legal status.

    The United States has pursued similar third-country deportation deals with other African nations, including Eswatini, South Sudan, Rwanda, and Uganda.

    However, the Ghanaian government’s failure to submit the MoU to Parliament has sparked criticism from legal experts, opposition figures, and civil society groups, who accuse the Executive of disregarding constitutional requirements.

    Article 75 of the 1992 Constitution stipulates that the President may execute treaties, agreements, or conventions in Ghana’s name, but such instruments must be ratified either by an Act of Parliament or by a parliamentary resolution supported by a majority of Members of Parliament.

    This means the President cannot unilaterally bind Ghana to any international treaty or agreement without parliamentary approval.

    Legal experts point to past Supreme Court decisions that interpret what qualifies as an international agreement under Article 75. In the case of Margaret Banful and Henry Nana Boakye v. The Attorney-General, the Court, presided over by Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo, ruled that any document binding Ghana to obligations with another country constitutes an international agreement requiring parliamentary ratification.

    Similarly, in Yaw Brogya Gyamfi v. The Attorney-General, Justice Marful-Sau held that even an unsigned Defence Cooperation Agreement between Ghana and the United States created legal obligations and thus required parliamentary approval.

    Based on these precedents, legal observers argue that the Ghana-US deportee MoU imposes obligations on Ghana to accept and host certain deportees, effectively making it an international agreement under Article 75. Critics say the government breached procedure by not presenting the MoU to Parliament for ratification.

    Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has defended the arrangement, describing it as a humanitarian initiative rooted in pan-African solidarity rather than financial or political gain.

    Speaking at the Government Accountability Series in Accra on September 15, 2025, he said:

    “Ghana has not received and does not seek any financial compensation or material benefit in relation to this understanding. Our involvement is purely by humanitarian principles and pan-African solidarity, not transactional interests.”

    He also clarified that the arrangement is a Memorandum of Understanding, not a treaty, emphasizing that Ghana retains the right to independently vet each deportee’s background before acceptance.

    Legal Challenge Before the Supreme Court

    The civil society group Democracy Hub, led by activist and lawyer Oliver Barker-Vormawor, has filed a petition at the Supreme Court challenging the legality of the government’s agreement with the U.S.

    The group argues that the arrangement violates Article 75 of the 1992 Constitution because it was not ratified by Parliament. Democracy Hub has also filed for an interlocutory injunction to halt the implementation of the MoU until the case is decided.

    A hearing scheduled for October 22, 2025, was adjourned after the Attorney-General’s Department failed to respond to the application. The Supreme Court has since directed the Attorney-General to file a response within two weeks ahead of the next hearing on November 12, 2025.

  • Govt dragged to court over deportation deal with U.S 

    Govt dragged to court over deportation deal with U.S 

    A legal action has been initiated against the government by the Civil society organization Democracy Hub over its controversial policy of deporting foreign nationals arrested for illegal mining (galamsey) without prosecution.

    According to the group’s writ of summons, filed at the High Court in Accra, the government’s deportation approach breaches Section 99 of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), which mandates prosecution for illegal mining offenses.

    “The selective decision not to prosecute foreign nationals, while prosecuting Ghanaians for the same offences, constitutes unequal treatment before the law,” and “Deportation, in the absence of conviction, does not satisfy the objectives of deterrence and may embolden perpetrators,” the group indicated in its writ.

    The Minister for Interior Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), and the Attorney-General are the main parties cited in the lawsuit. 

    According to the organisation, Ghana’s justice system operates on double standards, with locals prosecuted while foreign nationals involved in the same offenses are only deported.

    It rejected the government’s claim that deportees are later prosecuted in their home countries, labelling the assertion “speculative and unsubstantiated.”

    Democracy Hub is also pushing for transparency by demanding that the state make public any diplomatic exchanges or reports proving such prosecutions. The lawsuit seeks court declarations to invalidate the deportation policy, stop future deportations without trial, and compel disclosure of all documents concerning deported individuals.

    The group is further requesting GH¢300,000 as compensation for legal costs.

    According to Myjoyonline.com, over 100 foreign nationals, including Chinese citizens, have been deported for engaging in illegal mining (commonly known as galamsey) and related offences since the NDC government took office.

    A prominent environmental advocacy group, Eco-Conscious Citizens, also opposed the government’s  policy of deporting foreign nationals involved in illegal mining (galamsey) without trial.

    During an engagement with the Ashanti Regional Police Command in April, Minister Muntaka announced that the government would deport foreigners involved in illegal mining activities instead of prosecuting them. He argued that this approach would protect the environment and save the country money.

    “We have resolved, as a new policy, that for two things—whether you’re involved in galamsey or cutting down our trees unlawfully, or engaging in fraudulent activities, whether through computer fraud or other means—when we arrest any foreigner, we are not interested in prosecuting them. Our first option is to take them back to their country,” Muntaka stated.

    The decision has faced backlash from environmental groups, with Eco-Conscious Citizens strongly opposing it. The group’s Coordinator, Awula Serwah, shared her concerns during an interview on Morning Starr with Naa Dedei Tettey. She emphasized that merely deporting offenders without any legal consequences would fail to serve as a deterrent to future violations.

    “If someone is involved in environmental terrorism, destroying our forest reserves and poisoning our water bodies, and what you’re saying is that they can come to Ghana, engage in these activities, and when we catch them, we just pay for their fare to return to their country without prosecution, no jail time, and no restitution—then that’s not a deterrent,” Serwah said.

    Serwah went on to explain that such a policy would encourage more foreigners to engage in galamsey, as the risks of facing severe legal consequences are minimized. She also pointed out that Ghana’s porous borders make it easy for offenders to return under different identities, referencing the case of Aisha Huang, a notorious galamsey queenpin who was deported but later returned to continue illegal mining activities.

    She argued that the policy undermines the rule of law, particularly the provisions of the Lands and Minerals Act, which mandates the prosecution of individuals caught engaging in illegal mining. “The idea that we won’t prosecute them to save money doesn’t stand scrutiny. You need to deal with them robustly to discourage them from coming. You need to prosecute and imprison them, and then after they’ve served their sentences, they can return to their country,” Serwah added.

    Eco-Conscious Citizens urged the government to reconsider its approach, calling for tougher measures such as prosecution and imprisonment to deter foreign nationals from engaging in illegal mining in Ghana.

    Months ago, the Interior Ministry stressed that the deportation policy is not intended to favour foreigners or show leniency. Instead, it is designed to prevent further abuse of Ghana’s legal system and to safeguard national interests.

    “You arrest about 80 Chinese, and you have to find a place to keep them, and then sometimes even vehicles to take them to court are a problem. You go to court and they succeed in getting bail,” Deputy Interior Minister Ebenezer Terlarbi argued on JoyNews’ PM Express.

    Mr Terlarbi further explained that the sheer logistical, legal, and financial burden of keeping foreign galamsey suspects in Ghana’s already overstretched prison system has forced the government to consider what he called a “more innovative” path.

    “We are looking at 1,400 inmates we have now, and feeding them is even a problem. So if there’s a way not to exacerbate the situation by sending them back to their home countries, I think that I would opt for that,” he stated.

    WRIT OF SUMMONS – DEMOCRACY HUB[54] copyDownload

  • Over 2,200 foreign nationals engaged in street begging in Accra removed – GIS

    Over 2,200 foreign nationals engaged in street begging in Accra removed – GIS

    A total of 2,241 foreign nationals were removed from the principal streets of Accra by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) after an intelligence-led operation on Friday, 16th May.

    Nine hundred and nine (909) adults and 1,322 children were taken from the streets. Out of the total, 961 were males and 1,280 were females, according to the GIS in a statement.

    The operation seeks to repatriate undocumented foreign nationals humanely and disrupt criminal networks that facilitate their operations in places such as Sabon Zongo, Nima, Abossey Okai and Obetsebi Roundabout, among others.

    The GIS noted that the foreign nationals are currently being taken through the necessary processes including security and medical screening at the National Headquarters in Accra.

    The Service assured all stakeholders and the general public that “the detainees will be handled with the highest professionalism, with respect for their human rights.”

    Meanwhile, the Minister for Interior, Muntaka Mubarak has urged all Ghanaians to remain calm and support this exercise.

    “Let us cooperate with the security teams as they work to protect our streets and uphold national safety,” he wrote in a Facebook post.

    In a related development, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) is expected to remove traders selling on the streets and pavements in Accra on Tuesday, May 20.

    Before the exercise, vehicular movement in the area was at a standstill, as some traders sold their items in the middle of the streets, preventing pedestrians and vehicles from barely moving freely.

    Meanwhile, transport operators in Ghana have issued a stern warning to the government and the Ghana Police Service, demanding immediate enforcement of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2180), particularly those relating to trading on roads and pavements. 

    They have given authorities until Monday, May 19, to act or face a nationwide protest. According to the operators, the growing encroachment of roads and pavements by traders poses serious safety risks and disrupts the free flow of traffic.

    Under Ghana’s Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2180), specific provisions prohibit trading activities that obstruct pedestrian and vehicular movement. 

    These regulations are designed to ensure the safety and free flow of traffic on public roads and pavements.

    Under Regulation 117 of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2180), it is an offence for any person to engage in trading activities in certain areas that pose a risk to public safety or obstruct the smooth flow of traffic.

    According to the law, a person shall not sell goods, display goods, offer goods for sale, or deliver goods as part of a sale on or alongside a road. A person shall also not sell or display goods on a pedestrian walkway. In addition, a person is prohibited from selling, displaying, offering for sale, or delivering goods within thirty metres of a railway level crossing.

    The law further prohibits such activities under a road traffic sign that indicates a blind corner or a rise. It is also an offence to engage in these trading activities within an intersection. Lastly, the law forbids trading on or alongside any road, including areas around a toll booth and a toll plaza.

    Any person who violates the above restrictions commits an offence. Upon summary conviction, the person is liable to pay a fine not exceeding fifty penalty units or serve a term of imprisonment not exceeding three months, or both.

    This regulation is designed to safeguard the safety of all road users and ensure that trading activities do not interfere with traffic or endanger lives.

  • GIS arrests, repatriates over 66 ECOWAS nationals

    GIS arrests, repatriates over 66 ECOWAS nationals

    The Ghana Immigration Service’s (GIS) Western Regional Command successfully apprehended sixty-six migrants on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, at various hideouts in Sekondi-Takoradi.

    This operation aligns with the GIS’s ‘TRIPPLE S’ Campaign, aimed at ensuring national security, stability, and safety.

    According to a statement from the GIS, the suspects, comprising 45 men and 21 women aged between 19 and 54, were recruited from towns like Tanda, Agnibilekro, Bondougkou, Nindo, and Aboisso Abidjan for cybercrimes and other illegal activities.

    Investigations revealed that Ghanaians Romio and Akwesi Daniel were part of the syndicate recruiting Ivorians under the guise of an online business (QNET). While two suspects, Bamba Ladja (26) and Troare Yssouf (21), remain detained for further investigation, the rest have been repatriated.

    In a related incident on March 19, 2024, Axim Sector Commander, Deputy Superintendent of Immigration Emmanuel Adams, led an operation leading to the arrest of six Nigerian women operating as sex workers at the Bafana Bafana Beach Resort, a known brothel.

    These women, aged between 19 and 26, have also been repatriated following their arrest.

  • Over 200 Ghanaians stranded in Côte d’Ivoire – Ghana Immigration Service

    Over 200 Ghanaians stranded in Côte d’Ivoire – Ghana Immigration Service

    More than 200 Ghanaians find themselves stranded in Cote d’Ivoire, as announced by Assistant Superintendent of Immigration (ASI) Rickey Nana Yaw Boakye, an officer at the Sampa Command of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) in the Bono Region.

    These individuals appear to be among the unfortunate victims of “Q-Net,” a notorious fraudulent online scheme known for deceiving people into parting with substantial sums of money under the false promise of securing lucrative job opportunities abroad.

    ASI Boakye noted that the Sampa Command is actively collaborating with its counterparts in La Cote d’Ivoire to rescue and repatriate the stranded Ghanaian migrants, including women and girls, back to their homeland.

    Last year, the Command, with support from other security agencies, successfully rescued and brought approximately 200 victims back home through the Ghana-Cote d’Ivoire border in the Jaman North District of the region.

    ASI Boakye shared these updates during a stakeholder’s meeting organized by ActionAid Ghana (AAG), a non-governmental organization, held at Abesim, near Sunyani, to validate a project it implemented in the region.

    The implementation of the three-year Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD)-funded multi-country project concluded in December 2023.

    ASI Boakye expressed disgust about the forms of human rights abuses the victims went through, saying, “Now as we speak, about 200 of the victims are locked up in a room in Ivory Coast and they are not allowed to go out.”

    ASI Boakye highlighted the challenges in locating the victims, noting that they often took routes through unapproved areas along the border communities, often with the assistance of local motorbike and ‘pragyia’ riders.

    He cautioned aspiring youth travellers to seek the Ghana Immigration Service for proper documentation, emphasising that those resorting to the illicit services of “Q-Net” were exposing themselves to unnecessary risks.

    Kwame Afram Denkyira, the Bono Regional Programme Manager for AAG, stated that the project’s results significantly contributed to the advancement of people-centered national regulatory frameworks and policies, particularly in ensuring decent work within the agricultural value chain.

  • GIS rescues 11 Nigerians allegedly trafficked

    GIS rescues 11 Nigerians allegedly trafficked

    The Sampa Sector Command of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) in the Bono Region has carried out a rescue operation, saving 11 Nigerian nationals from alleged human trafficking agents near the Ghana-Ivory Coast border in the Jaman North District.

    These individuals fell prey to a fraudulent online scheme known as “Q-Net,” which purportedly offered them overseas job opportunities but, in reality, swindled them of substantial amounts of money.

    With the support of their families and relatives, all the victims have been safely repatriated to their home countries.

    The victims had been trafficked and held against their will in Bondoukou, a city in northeastern Cote d’Ivoire, situated approximately 420 kilometers northeast of Abidjan, and they had been smuggled through unauthorized routes in the district with the assistance of unidentified commercial motorbike riders (Okada) in the area.

    Assistant Commissioner of Immigration (ACI) John Morcher, the Sector Commander of the GIS, disclosed that preliminary investigations indicated the involvement of Okada riders who facilitated the movement of these unsuspecting victims across the border into Cote d’Ivoire through illicit routes.

    The victims were identified by a sensitization team established by the International Centre for Migration and Policy Development (ICMPD) and CDD-Ghana as part of their Cross-Border Crime and Human Trafficking awareness initiative in the district.

    ACI Morcher praised the project’s implementation for raising awareness about cross-border crimes in the region.

    He also issued a stern warning to Okada riders engaging in these unscrupulous and illegal activities, stating that they would be prosecuted under the Human Trafficking Act, 2005 (Act 694).

    Deputy Superintendent of Immigration (DSI) David Odoi Kpobi, who led the sensitization team, revealed that the victims had managed to escape from a camp in Bondoukou and had arrived at the Sampa border on Wednesday, October 11, 2023.

    After thorough profiling by border security, it was uncovered that they had fallen victim to the “Q-Net” scheme, which had defrauded them of significant sums of money.

    Some of the victims admitted to transferring substantial amounts of money from Nigeria to their captors through intermediaries before leaving Nigeria, journeying through Ghana to Cote d’Ivoire with hopes of working abroad, only to find themselves held hostage and mistreated.

  • Ghana Immigration Service warns against human trafficking via motor riders

    Ghana Immigration Service warns against human trafficking via motor riders

    The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has issued a warning to the Motor Riders Association in the Ketu South Municipality of the Volta region, cautioning them against participating in potential human trafficking activities originating from neighboring countries.

    This alert comes in the wake of multiple arrests made by Aflao Immigration officers concerning human trafficking cases within the Ketu South Municipality.

    Assistant Superintendent of Immigration Justice Kudzo Normesi, who oversees Immigration Professional Standards and Ethics at the Aflao Sector Command, emphasized the importance of motor riders cooperating with immigration checks and refraining from using unauthorized routes to enable the illegal entry of foreigners into the country.

    Pascal Quarshie Setsoafia, the National Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Motor Riders Association, called on the government to establish proper measures for the regularization of the okada (motorcycle taxi) business, which he believed could generate significant revenue for the government. Some motor riders also appealed for permits to operate legally.

    While acknowledging that the okada business remains illegal, Acting Director General of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), David Osafo Adonteng, emphasized the NRSA’s commitment to ensuring the safety of both riders and passengers.

    He stated that the NRSA would work to ensure that motor riders adhere to the traffic rules of the country.

    Furthermore, Assistant Superintendent of Immigration Justice Kudzo Normesi disclosed that Aflao Immigration officers had intercepted five trafficking cases in the Aflao area.

  • GIS and GRA seize 64,000 slabs of intercepted marijuana

    GIS and GRA seize 64,000 slabs of intercepted marijuana

    The Nyive sector Command of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) and the Customs division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) stopped 64,000 pieces of marijuana in Atikpui, a place near the border in the Ho municipality, Volta Region.

    According to the Acting Regional Commander of the Immigration Service, Assistant Commissioner of Immigration (ACI) Noah Ahomka, this is the largest amount of marijuana ever found in the Ho municipality. He said that the Nyive Command has been doing a great job over the years, especially when it comes to stopping illegal things like drugs. He praised the officers for their good work and encouraged them to keep it up.

    The interception happened on Thursday, September 7, 2023, thanks to a tip-off. The officers found the marijuana in an abandoned place near the Atikpui clinic. It was packed in sacks and ready to be taken away by someone before the tip-off.

    The officer in charge, Assistant Commissioner of Immigration (ACI) Alhaji Abdulai, thanked the people in the area for working together against illegal activities.

    The confiscated marijuana will be given to the Narcotic Control Board.

    Atikpui is a farming community in the Ho municipality. It is near the border with the Republic of Togo and has around 4,000 people, including children.

    In July 2022, more than 2,000 pieces of marijuana were stopped in the same place.

  • Ghana Immigration Service urges the public to report money extortion by Immigration officers

    Ghana Immigration Service urges the public to report money extortion by Immigration officers

    The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) is urging the public to report any incidents of its officers engaging in extortion at Immigration Inland Checkpoints. 

    This call to action is prompted by allegations that certain officers stationed at these checkpoints, particularly at the Northern frontiers of the country, have been involved in extorting money from members of the public.

    GIS in a statement issued stated “It has come to the attention of the Management of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) that some Officers stationed at the Immigration Inland Checkpoints are alleged to be extorting monies from members of the public, especially at the Northern frontiers of the country,” GIS said on a statement.

    “Any member of the public who is extorted by an Immigration Officer at any of the inland checkpoints is to take note of his or her name tag and the duty post where it occurred and report to the nearest Immigration Service Office or the Immigration Professional Standards and Ethics Section at the Regional or National Headquarters,” GIS added.

    The statement explained that the purpose of the inland checkpoints is to serve as an additional layer of passenger profiling. This is done to effectively prevent the entry of extremist groups into the country, ensuring national security and the safety of travelers.

    “These inland checkpoints are technically a part of the border lines and consequently have security protocols that members of the traveling public are to follow.”

    The Ghana Immigration Service further cautioned Commanders in the various regions and sectors to ensure that officers posted to these checkpoints conduct themselves professionally.

  • Volta fishermen advised not to cross into Togo in canoes to fish

    Volta fishermen advised not to cross into Togo in canoes to fish

    The Aflao Sector Command of the Ghana Immigration Service has issued a plea to Volta fishers, urging them to refrain from crossing to Togo in canoes for fishing, as such actions could attract undesirable migrants into Ghana.

    Assistant Superintendent of Immigration (ASI), Justice Kudzo Normeshie, who oversees Immigration Professional Standards and Ethics at the Command, expressed concern over some fishers from the region’s coastal districts crossing into neighboring Togo for fishing activities. He emphasized the importance of understanding the security implications associated with this practice.

    ASI Normeshie made this call during a durbar attended by fisher associations and groups, representatives from civil society, traditional authorities, and other stakeholders in the fishing industry.

    The occasion marked the end of the 2023 closed fishing season at Adina, Ketu South, organized by the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MoFAD) and the Fisheries Commission in collaboration with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

    The purpose of this initiative was to lift the month-long ban on fishing for artisanal and inshore fleets, aimed at recovering the fast-depleting fish stock.

    The Immigration officer explained that the practice of fishers crossing to Togo might encourage counterparts on the other side to use their canoes for illegal activities, such as smuggling undesirable migrants, human trafficking, and drug trafficking.

    He emphasized the emergence and risk of complex security issues, including violent extremism and cross-border crimes, which should be a shared concern among all stakeholders. Safeguarding the nation’s peace and security requires collective responsibility.

    Mr. Maxwell Koffie Lugudor, the Municipal Chief Executive for Ketu South, expressed concern about the lack of marine officers to secure the Volta Region’s coastline from sea crimes and fishing violations.

    He stressed the importance of their presence to deter and punish perpetrators of such infractions, including those who might evade the closed fishing season by fleeing to Togo.

    The Municipal Chief Executive also appealed to MoFAD for support in assisting fishers severely affected by devastating tidal waves by providing Yamaha outboard motors to help them resume their livelihoods.

    He also requested a constant supply of premix fuel for fishers to embark on fishing expeditions.

  • 27 GIS officers interdicted for alleged fraud

    27 GIS officers interdicted for alleged fraud

    The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has taken disciplinary action against 27 officers, consisting of three senior officers and 24 junior officers, due to their involvement in various offenses that have tarnished the Service’s reputation.

    These interdictions were conveyed through a circular signed by the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Mr. Kwame Asuah Takyi.

    The officers are accused of engaging in activities such as recruitment and/or visa fraud, which violate the Immigration Service Regulations of 2016.

    The interdictions have been initiated to facilitate thorough investigations into the allegations, following internal disciplinary protocols.

    Legal actions will be taken against those found guilty after the investigations are concluded.

    Among the interdicted officers are Chief Superintendent Philipson Adeti, Superintendent Dominic Eshun, and Assistant Superintendent of Immigration (ASI) Marvin Essandoh.

    The remaining officers, including Immigration Control Officers and Assistant Immigration Control Officers, are also part of this disciplinary action.

    The GIS, represented by C/Supt. Michael Amoako-Atta, encouraged individuals who may have been affected by the alleged misconduct of these officers to come forward and provide information to aid in the ongoing investigations.

  • 27 immigration officers suspended over visa and recruitment scam

    27 immigration officers suspended over visa and recruitment scam

    Involvement in various offences, including alleged visa and recruitment fraud, that have tarnished the reputation of the Service, has led to the suspension of 27 of its officers by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS).

    The suspensions were announced in a circular signed by the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Mr Kwame Asuah Takyi, on Monday, 31 July 2023.

    The suspended officers are accused of breaching Regulation 138 (1)(a) and (k) of the Immigration Service Regulations, 2016 (L.I. 2245), which prohibit engaging in activities that are likely to bring the Service into disrepute or compromise its integrity.

    The suspensions are meant to facilitate thorough investigations into the cases, in line with internal disciplinary procedures. After the investigations, appropriate legal action will be taken against those found guilty.

    The suspended officers include three senior officers and 24 junior officers. They are: Chief Superintendent Philipson Adeti, Superintendent Dominic Eshun, Assistant Superintendent of Immigration (ASI) Marvin Essandoh, Senior Inspector (Snr. Insp.) Augustine Nuamah, Snr. Insp. Martin Owusu, Inspector (Insp.) Stephen Kofi Acheampong, Insp. Patrick Asante, Insp. Benjamin Darko, Assistant Inspector (Asst. Insp.) Victor Donkor, Asst. Insp. Daniel Danso Ntiamoah, Asst. Insp. Wisdom Ahorlu, Asst. Insp. Wisdom Elorm Addo, Asst. Insp. Hamdiya Abass, Asst. Insp. Elizabeth Quainoo, Asst. Insp Isaac Dzihlornu, Asst. Insp. Edmund Agbotey, Asst. Insp. Mary Agyemang Duah, Immigration Control Officer (ICO) Iddrisu Adam, ICO Christopher Torgbenu, ICO Joseph Ampomah, and ICO Francis Dabi.

    The remaining officers are: Assistant Immigration Control Officer I (AICO I) Cosmos Dakora, AICO I Ebenezer Azumah, AICO I Bright Buabeng, AICO I Collins Nyarko, AICO II Solomon Koney Laryea, and AICO II Samuel Kuranchie.

    The GIS has urged members of the public who may have fallen victim to the alleged acts of these officers to come forward and provide information to assist in the ongoing investigations.

  • Police to establish firing range for licensed firearms – Interior Minister

    Police to establish firing range for licensed firearms – Interior Minister

    The Minister for the Interior, Ambrose Dery, has announced that the Police administration is planning to establish a firing range for the training of licensed firearm holders.

    This training facility will also be used to train personnel from various security agencies, including the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Immigration Service.

    During an interview with journalists on August 1, the Minister expressed gratitude to the public for their increased confidence in the Police and their collaboration in providing valuable information to solve criminal cases.

    He highlighted the ongoing efforts to register arms for security agencies and mentioned that a shooting range will soon be operational for training those with permission to possess firearms.

    He also emphasized that individuals found in possession of unlicensed firearms will face legal consequences.

    Addressing the issue of the proliferation of illegal arms in the country, the Deputy Director of the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons, Gyebi Asante, pointed out that Ghana’s porous borders are contributing to the problem.

    He mentioned that conflicts in neighboring countries are resulting in weapons being smuggled into Ghana through these weak borders.

    Additionally, he noted the existence of conflict entrepreneurs who sponsor the illegal arms trade.

    The Police recently arrested 14 suspects on July 25, 2023, in connection with a deadly clash that resulted in the deaths of two individuals near Dormaa Ahenkro in the Bono Region.

    The suspects were apprehended with eight pump-action guns, a cutlass, and a knife, and they are currently in Police custody, assisting with the investigation.

    They are scheduled to appear before the court on the same day to face justice for their actions.

  • Ghana Immigration Service receives new training facilities

    Ghana Immigration Service receives new training facilities

    Government has set up three new training facilities to enhance the training of officers in the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS).

    These facilities consist of a Mid-Country School located in Tepa, Ashanti Region, a Tactical Training School situated in Kyebi, Eastern Region, and a Centre of Excellence established at Odorkor, Greater Accra Region.

    Vice President Bawumia disclosed this development during the parade review of Cadet Intake 17 at the Immigration Service Academy and Training School in Assin Fosu, Central Region.

    The government’s intervention aims to equip the first line of the country’s border defense with specialized vehicles, equipment, and arms to safeguard Ghanaians.

    The passing-out ceremony of the GIS marked the first event after the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions.

    “You will agree with me that the Service occupies a strategic position toward achieving peace and security as well as economic prosperity,” Vice President Bawumia stated.

    A total of 357 Cadets completed a seven-month rigorous training program, covering various aspects such as Immigration Law, Practices, and Procedures, Migration Management, Operational Planning, Criminal Procedures, Intelligence Gathering, Investigations, Travel Document Management, Map Reading, Navigation, and the French language.

    The Ghana Immigration Service plays a vital role in managing the country’s borders, ensuring proper monitoring of goods and individuals entering and leaving the nation, issuing visas to non-Ghanaians, and contributing to national security, trade, and investment facilitation.

    Vice President Bawumia assured that the government would continue to provide the necessary logistical support for the GIS to fulfill its mandate effectively. The Service will be equipped with specialized surveillance equipment, regional offices, residential accommodation, and other critical operational logistics.

    “I’m pleased to announce that the Government has delivered its promise of procuring arms and ammunition for the Service to boost its operations and enhance security at the borders,” he said.

    “The GIS would be equipped with specialized surveillance equipment, regional offices, residential accommodation, and other critical operational logistics,” he added.

    He stressed the importance of adopting a more innovative and robust approach to managing migration in the face of ever-changing global security dynamics. The government has already introduced modern technology, such as the paperless input of traveler’s data at Kotoka International Airport and the use of the Ghana card as an e-passport, establishing the identity of Ghanaians through their fingerprints. This will help preserve travel history and enhance migration management in the collective interest of the State.

    Vice President Bawumia also commended the positive relationship and cooperation between the Ghana Immigration Service and sister security agencies, with some of these agencies utilizing the Service’s training facility for their personnel.

    “This is why the Government of President Akufo-Addo believes that the GIS has to adopt a more innovative and robust approach to managing migration in the collective interest of the State. I know you have embraced modern technology as the most reliable tool for reaching this goal. Evidence of this is the implementation of technology put in place for the paperless input of traveler’s data at the Kotoka international airport in March 2023.

    “We have also seen some level of implementation of the Ghana card as an e-passport (with the Ghana card the identity of people can be established using their fingerprints). Ghana Missions and other Embassies abroad will be able to establish the identity of Ghanaians using their fingerprints. Identity can even be established without the Ghana card if you have been enrolled on the database. The Ghana card is also being linked with existing passports so that travel history will be preserved.”

  • 1,341 GIS recruits graduate at Assin Fosu

    1,341 GIS recruits graduate at Assin Fosu

    1,341 recruits from Intake-29 of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) have successfully passed out at the GIS Training School in Assin Fosu, Central Region.

    After completing a six-month mandatory training, they are now formally recruited and integrated into the Service.

    Deputy Minister for The Interior, Naana Eyiah, praised the GIS for its contributions to national security during the passing-out parade held in Assin Fosu.

    She emphasized the government’s commitment to strengthening the nation’s borders, and the significant number of recruits attested to that dedication.

    “The increasing security threat that we face in Africa and the West African sub-re­gion calls for recruiting additional personnel to man the country’s borders,” she said.

    Naana Eyiah, the Deputy Minister for The Interior, emphasized that the government is committed to ensuring the GIS has sufficient personnel to fulfill its mandate.

    She highlighted that the GIS is tasked with managing the entry, residence, work, and ethics of individuals in the country, as well as ensuring the security of the nation’s borders.

    Naana Eyiah also pointed out that Ghana faces security threats, including cyber security threats, terrorism, and cross-border crimes, within the West African sub-region.

    “The urgent need of the time requires that rapid measures are taken to enhance the territorial integrity of the country,” she indicated.

  • Immigration officer who foiled kidnapping of school girl promoted

    Immigration officer who foiled kidnapping of school girl promoted

    In recognition of Emmanuel Ofosu-Acheampong’s professionalism and bravery, the Comptroller-General of the Ghana Immigration Service, Kwame Asuah Takyi, has promoted him to the rank of Assistant Immigration Control Officer I (AICO I).

    When a young female student was believed to be being kidnapped while traveling by public transportation (Trotro) from Nsawam to Dome in June 2023, AICO I Emmanuel Ofosu-Acheampong of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), stationed at the Kasoa Command in the Central East Region, acted on his gut feelings and prevented the kidnapping.

    The Comptroller-General honored the courageous officer on behalf of the National Immigration Management Committee, according to a formal statement signed by Chief Superintendent Amoako Atta, the Head of Public Affairs.

    Mr. Takyi expressed his respect for the officer’s alertness and prompt action in saving the young student from the alleged abductors.

    He continued by expressing his surprise at the news’ viral nature across so many media channels.

    “Notwithstanding the risks involved on a busy road, the Officer, AICO I Emmanuel Ofosu-Acheampong acted responsibly and timely, garnering commendation from the public, security experts and opinion leaders nationwide,” the Comptroller-General said.

    Mr. Takyi asked the newly promoted Officer to continue setting a good example wherever he goes and to raise the GIS flag even higher.

    He counseled him to take courage from the promotion and keep up his discipline.

    “Don’t let this elevation get into your head and become arrogant but rather be humbled and continue to be a worthy ambassador of the Service,” he advised.

    AICO I Emmanuel Ofosu-Acheampong received a promotion in addition to a plaque, certificate, and citation in honor of his bravery.

  • Angry Nkrankwanta youth attack immigration officers

    Angry Nkrankwanta youth attack immigration officers

    A group of aggrieved youth in Nkrankwanta, in the Dormaa West District of the Bono Region, have attacked officers of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) who were stationed in the area to prevent illegal activities at the Nkrankwanta-Ivory Coast border.

    The attackers were said to have arrested some officers, who were on duty and also succeeded in vandalising the duty post, including some of the station’s operational logistics.

    The agitators, yet to be identified, destroyed items such as computers, airconditioners, chairs and tables, a refrigerator, book shelves and documents, among others.

    Cause of attack

    It is alleged that one of the officers, stationed at the post, last Sunday knocked down a female resident with a patrol motorbike, killing her on the spot.

    In reaction to the incident, the youth attacked the two officers who were on the motorbike and later stormed the station to beat other officers up and arrested some of them in their homes.

    However, some of the officers managed to escape to safety and made calls to their colleagues and other opinion leaders from the community to come to their aid.

    It is unclear the number of the officers who were at post during the time of the incident and the safety of the officers, including those who were arrested.

    Commander visits

    The Daily Graphic gathered from the Bono Regional GIS Command  yesterday that the Regional Commander had led a delegation to the area to assess the extent of injuries, damages and intervene to restore calm.

    “It is true, we had a report from the station, but right now, I can’t grant any further information without authorisation from the Regional Commander”, the source explained.

    It said the Regional Commander had gone to the scene to ascertain the fact and situation on the ground. 

  • 4 GIS officers involved in Bawku rescue mission promoted

    4 GIS officers involved in Bawku rescue mission promoted

    Four officers of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) have been honored with promotions in recognition of their courage and selfishness during a rescue operation.

    The officers exhibited exceptional bravery while attempting to save three fellow colleagues who had been targeted by unidentified assailants in Bawku on April 3rd of this year.

    The three officers whose car came under fire from unknown gunmen on their way to buy food were 30-year-old Assistant Inspector Eric Ayidiya, stationed at the Polimakom border post, and 42-year-old Inspector Lawrence Afari, stationed at Kulungugu post, both of whom got injured and received treatment at the Bawku Presbyterian Hospital. 

    A third officer, 42-year-old Inspector Philip Motey, died from injuries sustained during the attack. He was laid to rest last Saturday. 

    The officers who rescued their colleagues: Chief Superintendent (C/Supt.) Michael Brewu Ampofoh was promoted to the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Immigration. 

    Assistant Inspector Harris Quartey was promoted to the rank of Inspector; Immigration Control Officer (ICO) Wisdom Elorm Addo was promoted to the rank of Assistant Inspector, whilst Assistant Immigration Control Officer Grade II Emmanuel Forson was promoted to the rank of Assistant Immigration Control Officer Grade I. 

    All four officers also received citations, certificates and plaques, recognising their work. 

    The Controller-General of Immigration, Kwame Asuah Takyi, in an address, said on the evening of April 3, 2023 at about 19:51 hours, Chief Superintendent Michal Brewu Ampofoh, received a distress call from one Assistant Inspector Eric Afari who informed the Bawku Command of the attack by the unknown gunmen who fired several shots at their vehicle, killing Inspector Phillip Motey and injuring two others. 

    Mr Takyi commended Chief Superintendent Ampofo and the three others for their swift response despite the perilous situation. 

    “Quickly, Chief Supt. Ampofoh and team of other three officers rushed to the scene while keeping touch with Assistant Inspector Laurence Afari through his phone, receiving directions and reassuring them that help was coming until the team got there… while it shocked me as well as many others how the immigration response team got there faster in spite of the danger on their way,” he said. 

    He encouraged other officers to follow the example of the four by not turning their backs on fellow colleagues when their assistance was needed especially, in volatile areas of duty such as Bawku. 

    “All security personnel should hold and teach that we must not turn our backs on our colleagues in any way or form when our help is most needed. I say this because we all know about the situation in the Bawku area and the danger that the conflict poses to security officials and residents as a whole,” he said. 

    On her part, Mrs. Adelaide Anno-Kumi, the Chief Director at the Ministry of Interior, in an address, on behalf of the Minister, Ambrose Dery, commended the immigration service for recognising the heroic move by the four officers as stipulated in regulation 171D (2016) L.I. 2245 of the Ghana Immigration Service. 

    Madam Anno-Kumi hinted that Government via the Ministry of Interior recognised threats faced by immigration service officers who worked around the clock to ensure that the country’s borders were safe and protected against all forms of cross border crimes. 

    She added that government would continue to retool the service to execute its mandate as expected. 

     The newly promoted Michael Brewu Ampofoh at a media interview said though he was pleased with the recognition for his hard work, he saw this award and promotion as an extra duty which required more efforts and commitment. 

    “… day in day out when we are promoted from one rank to the other it is an additional responsibility which is a paradigm shift in your behaviour, your operations, your attitudes towards work, how you respond to such calls,” he said. 

  • QNET praises the government’s action against con artists using its name

    QNET praises the government’s action against con artists using its name

    QNET, an e-commerce-based direct-selling company, applauds the recent crackdown on 41 foreigners in the Bono East Region by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS).

    This according to the company represents a significant step forward for the community, and it sends a clear message that scammers will not be allowed to operate with impunity in the country.

    QNET is committed to collaborating with the authorities against individuals misusing the company’s name and subjecting them to the laws of the land.

    Members of the public and QNET have been suffering reputational damage due to what the company calls scammers perpetrating fraudulent activities such as fake job recruitments and foreign travel scams.

    A statement by the company noted that “the company has taken and will continue to take strong punitive internal and legal actions and enhance its training, campaigns, and online support to educate and alert the public against fraudsters. ”

    “The public is encouraged to inform QNET and the Police if they come across any individual or entity using the company’s name to offer jobs or other services in exchange.

  • More than 1,900 Liberians receive residency licenses – GIS

    More than 1,900 Liberians receive residency licenses – GIS

    A total of 1,939 Liberian refugees have been integrated into the country through the granting of Residence Permits and other support programmes, the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has said.

    The GIS in 2022, received and helped a total of 2,847 migrants, constituting 1,905 males and 942 females to be reintegrated into various communities in Ghana.

    Mr Kwame Asuah Takyi, Comptroller-General of Immigration, speaking at the launch of the Caritas Ghana initiative, Support Service for Migrants and Refugees in Transit (SMART) for Inclusive Development Project in Accra, said the Service had helped returned migrants and refugees and collaborated with relevant stakeholders for their reception, registration, hosting, and integration in the country.

    The “SMART for Inclusive Development” Project is an initiative by Caritas Ghana, a charity organisation of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, with support from the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development at the Vatican.

    It aims at offering altruistic assistance and the rehabilitation of returned migrants and refugees in Ghana in nine out of the 16 regions.

    The regions are Ahafo, Bono-East, Greater Accra, Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Volta, Western and Oti.

    The project was designed to achieve an overall goal of providing “responsive humanitarian assistance and reintegration support for returned migrants and refugees in Ghana and curtail the menace of irregular migration from Ghana into the West through Social and Behavioural Change Communication activities in the communities by 2025.”

    The Comptroller-General of Immigration said the assistance to migrants had contributed considerably to the fight against irregular migration and the promotion of safe, orderly and legal migration.

    Mr Takyi, whose speech was read on his behalf by Assistant Commissioner of Immigration (ACI), Isaac Ghansah, said the Ghana Immigration Service through the Migration management Bureau had embarked on regular education and sensitisation programmes to create awareness on the dangers of irregular migration and avenues for safe and legal migration.

    He said, in addition to creating awareness, the Service had investigated and prosecuted several document fraud, human trafficking and other related cases to serve as a deterrent to miscreants.

    Mr Takyi, whose speech was read on his behalf by Assistant Commissioner of Immigration (ACI), Isaac Ghansah, said the Ghana Immigration Service through the Migration management Bureau had embarked on regular education and sensitisation programmes to create awareness of the dangers of irregular migration and avenues for safe and legal migration.

    For instance, he said in March 2023, the Anti-Human Smuggling and Trafficking in Person Unit successfully prosecuted a human trafficking case gaining conviction of a 15-year prison term for the trafficker.

    In the first quarter of 2023 alone, he noted that some 33 persons had been convicted for various offences, including attempts to obtain Ghana passports by false declaration and other documents resulting in impersonation.

    He said issues of migration was an essential constituent of globalisation and development and integral part of humanity and that in view of the critical role it played, there was the need to ensure that it was safe, orderly, regular, and responsible as prescribed in the Sustainable Development Goal.

    Rev. Fr. Charles Boampong Sarfo, Assistant Secretary General, National Catholic Secretariat, said to ensure that activities and project structures continued to work beyond the funding window, Caritas Ghana would ensure a community-driven approach to the project implementation.

    That, he said, would require the adoption of local structures and partners to carry out direct implementation whilst Caritas Ghana played a facilitating role, adding that the local government structures would be directly engaged to enable them to learn from the process and begin to include the project intervention in their annual operational plan.

    The Project action, Fr. Sarfo said, would include improving the institutional capacity of Caritas Ghana to respond to the relief and emergency needs of migrants and refugees in Ghana, shifting the perspectives of migrants, refugees and their families, and community on successes and failures related to migration.

    Rev. Sr. Regina Ignatia Aflah, Project Coordinator, Human Rights and Justice, called for the support of all stakeholders to enable Caritas Ghana harvest as many outcomes as possible to secure the future of the country’s labour force, which was under threat due to the menace of irregular migration.

  • The family of the murdered immigration officer calls for justice

    The family of the murdered immigration officer calls for justice

    The family of the deceased Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) officer in Bawku, in the Upper East Region, has urged the GIS leadership to work with other security organizations to ensure that justice was done in the officer’s killing.

    The family expressed its sorrow at the loss of their cherished son and their hope that the GIS will act and coordinate with other security organizations to find and prosecute those responsible for the horrible and inhumane act.

    Speaking on behalf of the family, Cephas Motey, a younger brother of the deceased appealed to the GIS to ensure that the body of the officer was brought back to Accra with dispatch to enable the family to fast-track the funeral planning process.

    Mr Motey, a lawyer spoke on behalf of the family when the Comptroller General Of the GIS, Kwame Asuah Takyi led the leadership of the GIS to call on the family to express their condolences, reports Graphic Online’s Benjamin Xornam Glover from Klagon in Greater Accra.

    Philip Motey, the immigration officer was killed in Bawku in the Upper East Region last Monday. He was in a vehicle with two other immigration officers when unknown assailants pounced on them and fired indiscriminately into their vehicle.

    Motey was pronounced dead on arrival at the Bawku Presby hospital.

    The two other officers are receiving treatment at the hospital, one in critical condition at Tamale and the other at Bawku.

    The deceased, an Assistant Inspector of Immigration, 42, was in the company of Eric Ayibiya, 30, and Laurence Afari, 42, when they were shot multiple times while moving in a blue sedan vehicle in Bawku by the unknown gunmen.

    The three officers stationed at different border posts, were on their way to the Bawku Township to buy food when the incident happened. The gunmen reportedly surfaced and shot into the vehicle and bolted after the incident.

    The Comptroller-General, accompanied by Members of the National Immigration Management Committee speaking during a visit to the family house of the deceased on Thursday, April 6, 2023, gave the assurance that the GIS will liaise with the relevant security agencies to find the perpetrators of the crime, so they face the law.

    He said the leadership of the Immigration Service would ensure that justice is served. The entire officers of the service are sad at the incident and are calling on management to take decisive action to ensure that justice prevail, he said.

    Mr Takyi disclosed that because the deceased died in active service, the leadership of the service would consider recruiting qualified relatives of the deceased family into the service to compensate for the loss.

    Mr Takyi on behalf of the GIS and in line with custom offered a cash donation of GHc5,000 and 40 packs of water to the family as part funeral preparations.

    Philip Motey, the immigration officer was killed in Bawku in the Upper East Region last Monday

    Calm person

    The younger brother of the deceased, Cephas Motey, a lawyer, described the late officer as a selfless, calm, dedicated person who was aspiring to become a lawyer and had even completed his LLB course and was waiting to write the entrance examination for the professional part of the legal education.

    “He would have become the third lawyer in our family,” he said, adding that their 89-year-old father and 79-year-old mother, who incidentally have had an experience working in the northern parts of the country, have been left devastated.

  • Immigration Service leadership visits family of slain officer

    Immigration Service leadership visits family of slain officer

    The leadership of the Ghana Immigration Service has paid a visit to the family of the officer who was murdered on Monday, April 3.

    The late officer who was with two other officers was shot by unknown gunmen in Bawku in the Upper East Region whiles they were in a private vehicle toward town to get something to eat after work.

    Three officers of the Immigration Service were shot at while driving from Bawku to Missiga resulting in the death of 42-year-old Philip Motey.

    The other two officers, Eric Ayibiya, 30, and Laurence Afri, 42, were also shot multiple times and are currently receiving treatment at the Bawku Presbyterian Hospital.

    On the back of this, the leadership of the Ghana Immigration Service visited the family to commiserate and express their condolences.

    Head of Public Affairs at the Ghana Immigration Service, Chief Superintendent Amoako-Atta addressing the family disclosed the willingness of the Immigration Service to provide a befitting burial for the late Motey.

    “We have lost a gallant officer, you have lost a son and the country has lost a very hardworking and gallant Ghanaian in the service of his country and we are here to commiserate with the family and let you know that whatever it takes to give our departed officer, brother, son, a befitting farewell, we are ready to do that.”

    Family members of the late officer could not hide their grief as they were seen visibly wailing about the passage of their beloved brother.

  • 1,000 Special Forces deployed to Bawku after deadly attack on immigration officers

    1,000 Special Forces deployed to Bawku after deadly attack on immigration officers

    One thousand Special Forces personnel have been dispatched to Bawku in the Upper East Region, where three immigration officers were shot at, one of whom died while trying to get food in front of a police station.

    The presence of the Special Forces is intended to increase security while also assisting investigation into the killers who are still on the loose.

    The Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu made this known in an interview on JoyNews’ AM Show on Wednesday.

    “REGSEC, we are intensifying, government is helping us by bringing in Special Forces to Bawku, about 1,000 of them both police and soldiers.”

    He added that “some are already at Bawku. Camps are already being built to house these soldiers.”

    Other measures, he claims, have been put in place to improve regional security, but he declined to elaborate.

    Mr Yakubu urged civil society and individuals to come forward with any information they may have about the incident.

    Despite the fact that no arrests have yet been made, he claims that authorities in Bawku are working round the clock to make arrests.

    “I can tell you that we are in control of the situation. Government is helping us otherwise it would have been worse than this,” he assured.

    Meanwhile, the Bawku Central MP, Mahama Ayariga has condemned the attack on personnel of the Ghana Immigration Service(GIS) which occurred on Monday, April 3, 2023.

    In a press release, the legislator said it was worrying that people would be killed in their line of duty.

    He, however, assured that an inquiry will be conducted into the matter.

    “This is most reprehensible and should not be repeated again. An investigation into the matter must be conducted and the perpetrators brought to book,” the April 4 release read.

  • Police, Immigration refute claims of blame game over arrested terrorists

    Police, Immigration refute claims of blame game over arrested terrorists

    Allegations that the Ghana Police Service and Ghana Immigration Service were at odds over the whereabouts of roughly 48 accused terrorists have been rejected.

    The publication was untrue and should be ignored, according to a statement jointly released and signed by Assistant Commissioner of Police Grace Ansah-Akrofi, Director of Public Affairs, and Chief Superintendent of Immigration Micheal Amoako-Atta, Head of Public Affairs.

    “The attention of the Police Service and Immigration Service has been drawn to a publication by the Ghanaian Times Newspaper – on the front page and page 12 – of Thursday, January 5, 2023, which story has also since been carried by other media houses alleging that there is a blame game between the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Immigration Service over the whereabouts of some 48 alleged terrorists.”

    It said that unlike what the Ghanaian Times Newspaper had “falsely claimed,” no alleged terrorists had been detained by the Police or Immigration, and there was undoubtedly no blame-shifting between the two state security services.

    In two separate operations at Ekyem, Achiase, and Akokoamong near Ejisu in the Ashanti Region in September 2022, the Police and Immigration detained 48 foreign people for engaging in illicit Network Marketing (QNET), according to the statement, per reports from the Ghana News Agency.

    It stated that between September 26 and September 29, 2022, all 48 individuals were returned to their various home nations after being profiled in accordance with the two institutions’ established operating protocols.

    The statement advised the general public, in particular the media, to use caution when referring to “terrorists” and to refrain from doing so in a way that would incite unnecessary fear and panic in a peaceful country.

    However, the statement stated that the two state security organizations would continue to cooperate and work together in order to fulfill their separate mandates for Ghana’s benefit.

  • Aisha Huang used forged marriage certificate to obtain residence permit – Witness tells court

    A superintendent of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), David Essien has told an Accra High Court that Aisha Huang used a forged marriage certificate to obtain an indefinite residence permit.

    A forged Ghanaian passport is also said to have been attached to the application that culminated in the grant of the permit.

    Supt. Essien said it was the detection of this situation that led the Immigration Service to revoke her permit and repatriate her out of the country.

    The issue of how Aisha Huang left Ghana in 2018 remains a thorny matter. State prosecutors have previously told an Accra Circuit Court she fled the country.

    This was a position contrary to what a government official had claimed.

    Former Senior Minister Yaw Osafo Marfo had stated that was in furtherance of a business transaction with the Chinese Government.

    Supt. Essien is the Attorney General’s second witness in the case in which the Chinese National is accused of engaging in illegal mining.

    He started his testimony by telling the court he was tasked to investigate the accused person following a publication on Myjoyonline.com and another news portal.

    The stories he said made serious allegations of illegal mining against the Chinese National. Supt Essien said he was asked to check her immigration status and the situation on the ground with regard to the allegation.

    He revealed he found out that she had an indefinite residence permit. During cross-examination, lead Counsel for Aisha Huang, Nkrabeah Effah Dartey asked the Immigration officer whether his probe was only regarding her immigration status.

    Supt Essien replied it bothered him as well as the allegations regarding the illegal mining.

     

    He then gave the following details about her repatriation.

    “When we examined the passport, she was on an indefinite residence permit which was granted to her based on her supposed marriage to a Ghanaian known as Anthony Fabian.

    However, investigations conducted by the GIS established that the accused used a forged marriage certificate and forged ghana passport in support of her application for the indefinite residence permit.

    As a result of this, the Comptroller-General revoked the indefinite residence permit on grounds of fraudulent misrepresentation in accordance which led to her subsequent repartition on December 19, 2018.“

    Mr Dartey told the court he will continue with his cross-examination after conferring with his client.

    It is worth noting that the trial on Monday did not commence without controversy.

    Aisha Huang told the Court she could not understand an interpreter who had been tasked to assist her. A new interpreter was brought to continue with that task.

    The case is back in Court on Tuesday, November 15.

    Source: Myjoyonline

  • Ukrainian man arrested in alleged fake currency trafficking

    Mazen Farakh, a Ukrainian national who has been on the wanted list of the police for alleged fake currency trafficking, has been arrested.

    The suspect, who is alleged to have moved a total of $65 million in fake currency out of Ghana to various destinations was picked up by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) on Wednesday, November 9, 2022.

    He is believed to be at the Airport Police station pending further investigations into the case.

    Arrest Warrant

    In September, this year, the Airport Police forwarded a warrant for the arrest of Mazen Farakh, issued by the Madina District Court, to the Comptroller-General of the GIS.

    Intel revealed that, over the years, the suspect had been able to move an amount of $65 million in fake currency outside the country to various destinations.

    The suspect was alleged to be transacting the same business but was picked up after a copy of the arrest warrant and the bio-data page of his passport was sent to the GIS.

    Accomplice

    Earlier this year, an alleged Nigerian accomplice nicknamed Sam was picked up by the anti-graft institution.

    Sam, 52 according to intel was arrested on the allegation that he defrauded Mazen Farakh of $6.5 million but allegedly insisted that he never defrauded the Ukrainian but rather, engaged in a fake currency deal with him.

  • Aisha Huang trial: Court calls first witness to the stands

    The first witness in the case involving Chinese national; Aisha Huang who has been arrested for allegedly engaging in illegal small-scale mining (galamsey), has made his appearance in court.

    Supt. Ransford Aborabora of the Ghana Immigration Service; the first witness, told the court that he was part of the enforcement team that first chanced on her illegal activities.

    The witness told the court that on May 6, 2017, he led a team to Obuasi, where they stormed a site where galamsey activities were ongoing.

    This was during the period that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had placed a ban on the activities of small-scale mining in the country.

    Supt. Aborabora told the court that regardless of this, they had received intel to the effect that some people were flouting the directive and had been mining at the said site.

    He said that on reaching the location, they were able to arrest four Chinese nationals, one of whom was called Gao Gin.

    He also told the court that Gao told them that they were working for Aisha Huang and that their passports were even with her.

    The witness added that the team then took videos and pictures as evidence, which he tendered in to the court.

    The video, according to GhanaWeb’s reporter, George Ayisi, was played in court.

    The defence, in their cross-examination, stated that they did not have any direct evidence that Aisha was involved in galamsey or that she was in charge as alleged by the other Chinese national who was arrested.

    The prosecution then concluded its cross-examination for the day.

    The trial has been adjourned to November 14, 2022.

    However, the lawyer for Aisha Huang, Nkrabea Effah Dartey, appealed for bail for his client but it was again denied, on the same grounds that the accused is a foreigner with no social ties to Ghana.

    Background:

    Ms. Huang in 2017 was charged for undertaking small-scale mining operations contrary to Section 99 (1) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703).

    She was also charged with providing mine support services without valid registration with the Minerals Commission, contrary to Section 59 and 99 (2) of the Minerals and Mining Act; and also charged with illegal employment of foreign nationals (in breach of section 24 of the Immigration Act and regulation 18 of the Immigration Regulations).

    Her case was however discontinued and she was deported. Her deportation meant the state discontinued the trial against her.

    She however found her way back into the country leading to her recent arrest. An Accra Circuit court last week remanded Aisha Huang and three other Chinese nationals into custody to reappear on charges of illegal gold mining and trading.

    Her recent arrest is on the same issues of illegal mining.

     

  • An immigration officer introduced me to Aisha Huang – Effah Dartey

    Nkrabeah Effah Dartey, a prominent member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has denied claims that his defense of Aisha Huang was a part of a larger scheme by the government and his party to have the alleged “galamsey” kingpin exonerated.

    He claims that Aisha Huang was brought to him by a former employee of the Ghana Immigration Service in 2017 to take the place of her prior attorney, who was departing the country.

    He continued by saying that he is defending Aisha because the supposed “galamsey” kingpin is paying for his services and because he took an oath when he became a lawyer promising to defend anyone who seeks his assistance.

    “Aisha Huang is a Chinese woman whom I first got in touch with in the year 2017. My friend, who used to be an immigration officer by the name Moses, called me one afternoon to meet him at Kempinski Hotel for some discussions.

    “So, I went to Kempinski, and when I got there, Moses was sitting with a Chinese woman. He then told me that the woman he was sitting with (Aisha Huang) was a Chinese woman who had a case in court and needed representation.

    “I accepted to represent the woman and charged her. After she had paid me, I became her lawyer,” he said in Twi in an interview on Kofi TV, which GhanaWeb monitored.

    Effah Dartey, who is a two-time Member of Parliament for Berekum, also maintained that his client was innocent and that the state was just harassing her for a crime she never committed.

    He added that the eight witness statements the Attorney General, Godfred Dame, has indicated he will be presenting will amount to nothing.

  • 38 foreigners grabbed in Accra

    About 38 persons alleged to be migrants from Niger were yesterday rounded up at Abofu in Achimota, Accra by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS).

    All women, with some carrying children, the migrants were rounded up during a decongestion exercise in Accra organised by the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) and led by the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr Henry Quartey.

    They were picked up around 11 a.m. by the GIS to its headquarters for further investigations.

    The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of the Okaikwei North Municipal Assembly (ONMA), NiiBoyeLaryea, told the media that he was informed about the arrival of the migrants by residents around 6a.m yesterday.

    He said the alleged migrants were said to have been dropped by a bus around 11 p.m. on Monday with the whereabouts of the bus yet to be known.

    Mr Laryea noted that intelligence found out that the migrants were making a transit from Niger to Cote d’ Ivoire and other places.

    The MCE said he then informed the Regional Minister and the GISabout the incident while the Assembly’s task force assessed the situation.

    The Regional Minister, for his part, stressed the need to treat the issue fairly as Ghana was part of the Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS) and had signed on to its protocols.

    MrQuarteyemphasised that there would be collaboration between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Gender and Social Protection and the GIS to ensure that the migrants went through the due process and were offered the needed assistance.

    The leader of the migrants, MrsMadinaYagoudaNeanti, said they meant no harm as they were heading towards Cote d’ Ivoire only to be dropped at the location by the driver of the bus who was conveying them.

    She said that they only needed another vehicle to convey them to their destination but the language barrier had been a challenge as they could not communicate effectively with the driver of the bus that brought them to the Abofulocation.

    Source:ghanaiantimes

  • 38 foreigners grabbed in Accra

    About 38 persons alleged to be migrants from Niger were yesterday rounded up at Abofu in Achimota, Accra by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS).

    All women, with some carrying children, the migrants were rounded up during a decongestion exercise in Accra organised by the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) and led by the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr Henry Quartey.

    They were picked up around 11 a.m. by the GIS to its headquarters for further investigations.

    The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of the Okaikwei North Municipal Assembly (ONMA), NiiBoyeLaryea, told the media that he was informed about the arrival of the migrants by residents around 6a.m yesterday.

    He said the alleged migrants were said to have been dropped by a bus around 11 p.m. on Monday with the whereabouts of the bus yet to be known.

    Mr Laryea noted that intelligence found out that the migrants were making a transit from Niger to Cote d’ Ivoire and other places.

    The MCE said he then informed the Regional Minister and the GISabout the incident while the Assembly’s task force assessed the situation.

    The Regional Minister, for his part, stressed the need to treat the issue fairly as Ghana was part of the Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS) and had signed on to its protocols.

    MrQuarteyemphasised that there would be collaboration between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Gender and Social Protection and the GIS to ensure that the migrants went through the due process and were offered the needed assistance.

    The leader of the migrants, MrsMadinaYagoudaNeanti, said they meant no harm as they were heading towards Cote d’ Ivoire only to be dropped at the location by the driver of the bus who was conveying them.

    She said that they only needed another vehicle to convey them to their destination but the language barrier had been a challenge as they could not communicate effectively with the driver of the bus that brought them to the Abofulocation.

  • Immigration boss slaps Johnnie Hughes and TV3 with GH¢20m defamation lawsuit

    The Comptroller General of the Ghana Immigration Service, Kwame Asuah Takyi has sued the managers of TV3, Media General over some alleged incidents of defamation.

    The suit which makes GH¢20 million demand in damages also named the host of the morning show on the television network, Johnnie Hughes as a co-respondent.

    According to details of the suit published by Dailyguidenetwork.com, the host on the Johnnies Bite, a segment on the show, made statements that were defamatory to the person of the Immigration Service boss.

    “Comptroller General, you were interdicted in 2013. That is what your officers are saying for the same visa fraud and permit malpractices. As of your 2019/2020 since your directive came, you are bringing all those pets to you. The people are begging to ask questions again. What are you up to? Are you doing something again?

    “They say they don’t understand why you have tried to centralise everything when you have made guilty in the past and went on interdiction. Until 2017, you were interdicted five (5) years.

    “The corruption must stop, Takyi must go” the suit repeated some statements said to have been made by the journalist between August 24 and September 23, 2022, on the programme.

    According to the plaintiff, the journalist by his statements described him as a corrupt official who treats his officers unfairly and poorly and as well uses his office to settle personal issues with other officers.

    Kwame Asuah Takyi also averred that the publication by the journalist has caused right thinking persons to believe he has a questionable character and is unfit to fulfil his mandate as Comptroller General. The plaintiff added that the defendant caused right thinking persons to see him as using his office to enrich himself.

    The allegations by the journalist, according to Mr Kwame Asuah Takyi, are false and calculated to dent his image and lower his reputation in the eyes and minds of right thinking members of the public.

    The plaintiff deems the statement by the journalist to be defamatory and has asked as part of his demands that the defendants are ordered by a court to retract and delete the publication from its various media platforms, websites, archives or records.

    He is also demanding an unqualified apology through the same medium where the statements and publications were made against him.

    In addition, the Immigration Service boss is asking for a reward of GHC20 million in damages as well as an order restraining the defendants or assignees from further publication or causing to be published the said words or any other words.

    Watch the latest episode of The Lowdown below:

    The Lowdown: Role of the diaspora in the development of Africa

    CEO of the Aaron Manvel Foundation Millie Lorene Tucker and Gary Hope, the CEO of FLCC – Bring Back Hope Foundation underscore the need for the African diaspora to help develop the continent in this episode of The Lowdown on GhanaWeb TV. According to the women trying to make and create a change in Ghana, our forefathers were sold away and made to develop strange lands. Thus, coming back home and developing their home country is the best thing to do especially when resources are available.

  • Child trafficking syndicate busted – 16 minors rescued

    The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has dismantled a group that is reportedly trafficking underage children across Ghana’s western border so they can work as forced laborers in Cote d’Ivoire’s fishing industry.

    Last Tuesday, four men who are thought to be members of the syndicate attempted to send some kids across the border at New Town in the Western Region for a nine-month fishing trip in Cote d’Ivoire. They were caught.

    Following the arrest of the four syndicate members last Tuesday, about 16 children, some as young as nine years old, were freed from the traffickers.

    The children, recruited from coastal towns such as Biriwa and Apam Dogo in the Central Region, were making the journey without the consent of their parents, while others had been sold off by their parents for monetary gain.

    September arrest

    Giving details of the September 13 arrest, the arresting officer, Assistant Superintendent of Immigration (ASI) Ebenezer Kuntou Asare, told the Daily Graphic that the GIS received a tip-off from some Customs officers about a group of young people trying to cross the border at an undesignated point.

    GIS officers on duty quickly moved in to march the travellers to the New Town Border Post, where they were profiled.

    He said when the group was interrogated, the gang leader, Kwame Tawiah, confessed that he was leading the group to cross the border to engage in fishing activities in Cote d’Ivoire, but maintained that they had the consent of some of the parents of the children involved.

    However, further interrogation of the children revealed that the parents of some of them were not aware of any such trip.

    He also indicated that the children had been coached to lie about their ages, but after “profiling”, it was established that they were minors.

    He said after extensive interrogation, it was established that the children were going to be given to fishers (masters) in Cote d’Ivoire to assist in fishing activities.

    Gaining roots

    ASI Asare said the traffickers had been operating for some time and were already gaining roots along the border.

    “My first encounter with them took place last year, but other officers have had separate encounters with some of them,” he said.

    He said three of the boys who were between 14 and 16 years confessed that they had been sent across the border last year to engage in fishing activities, and that they were paid GH₵1,900 after nine months.

    “They had returned to their hometowns to help recruit other young people and were on their way back to their base in Cote d’Ivoire when they were intercepted,” the officer explained.

    Secured shelter

    The culprits are presently in the custody of the Half Assini Police, while the children have been handed over to the Social Welfare Department.

    The Social Welfare Officer in charge of Half Assini, Benjamin Adu, told the Daily Graphic in a telephone interview that the rescued children would be kept in a secure shelter away from their hometowns to prevent them from falling victim to the traffickers again.

    “They are all from the Central Region and so when they were intercepted, we contacted the Social Welfare officials there and they came for the children, but we don’t want them to go back to their hometowns so they are being held in a shelter,” Mr Adu said.

    Prevalence

    Human traffickers are becoming more organised and tend to target vulnerable parents and communities to facilitate child trafficking in the fishing industry in Ghana and other West African countries, including Cote d’Ivoire.

    A United States Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report 2021 on a study of the prevalence of child trafficking in selected communities in the Volta and the Central regions indicated that traffickers had subjected children from nearly one-third of the 1,621 households surveyed to forced labour, primarily in inland fishing and forced labour in domestic work.

    The traffickers force boys as young as five years to work in hazardous conditions, including deep diving and mending of fishing nets, while girls perform work on-shore, such as cooking, cleaning fish and preparing fish for the market, while they are also vulnerable to sexual abuse.

    Alarmingly, countries in West Africa tend to detect more trafficking victims than those in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Fifth Global Report on TIP conducted in collaboration with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) last year.

    The report said of the 4,799 victims detected in 26 sub-Saharan African countries, 3,336, including 2,553 children, were in West Africa.

  • Immigration officer lands in trouble for allegedly defiling two girls aged 9,10

    The Asankrangwa Magistrates Court in the Amenfi West municipality of the Western Region has remanded a senior officer of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Elorm Tsekpor into police custody.

    The 50-year-old has been arrested for allegedly defiling two girls aged nine and 10 respectively at Newtown, a suburb of Asankrangwa.

    According to reports, the event happened in June of this year, but the suspect was brought before the court last Thursday on a bench warrant that the court had issued the previous week after he failed to appear.

    The court presided over by Mr. Augustine Fiifi Donfu, rejected a demanded that the suspect be sent to the Tarkwa Circuit Court, because the lacked the necessary jurisdiction to hear the case.

    It was the case of the prosecution, Police Inspector Appiah Bimpong, that Tsekpo who has been with the GIS since 1999 was currently stationed at the District Immigration Office, Asankrangwa in the Amenfi West municipality of the Western Region.

    According to him, the suspect resides in the same house with the victims and it had been alleged that on occasions, he organised parties for the victims and other children within the Newtown neighbourhood.

    Inspector Bimpong said that in July this year, one of the victims (the 10-year-old) fell sick and was not recovering after several medications. When her mother inspected her private parts, she suspected someone had had sexual intercourse with her.

    This prompted the father to further question the daughter, at which time the victim revealed that somewhere in June this year, the accused sent one Christiana to call her and the other victim (the 9-year-old) to collect gifts in his room, and there, Tsekpor had sexual intercourse with them.

    Later, the prosecution said the accused warned the two victims not to inform anyone about the affairs or else he will flee Asankragwa if they failed to keep the secret.

    Again, the father of the victim (aged 10), Mr. John Kofi Opoku, also conferred with the mother of the victim (aged 9) and upon interrogation, the victim confirmed the matter.

    “The parents jointly reported the case to the Asankrangwa police station and medical forms were issued for the victims to be taken to the hospital for examination and endorsement,” Inspector Bimpong stated.

  • I did not recieve 50 Ghana Immigration slots – John Kumah

    A Deputy Finance Minister, John Kumah, has denied receiving 50 Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) slots for his constituents in Ejisu of the Ashanti Region.

    “I wish to categorically say that the information widely being circulated that I have received 50 immigration slots and given that to my constituents is false.

    “A lot of negative spin and propaganda has been placed on a group of newly recruited immigration officers who visited the Ejisu solution centre to show their appreciation to the centre for the support they received ahead of their recruitment,” he disclosed in a statement.

    The Member of Parliament for Ejisu noted that the assertion of having received 50 slots is false, adding that the Ejisu constituency has a way of tackling unemployment.

    “In Ejisu, we have set up a 24/7 solution centre designed to prepare and support job applicants who need assistance to prepare for any job opening of their choice. The centre trains job applicants on the best practices they must follow when applying for a job, how to prepare for an interview and CV writing, among several others.

    “The centre does not only serve the people of Ejisu but youth in the Ashanti Region and its surrounding environments. Over the years, the centre has assisted young people in securing jobs in both private and public institutions through proper career guidance and training. We receive job requests from youth across the country, and we try our best to prepare and assist them in applying for jobs,” he added.

    The deputy finance minister further disclosed that the trending image of immigration officers is not up to 50, and some of them are from Assin Fosu, Berekum, Kwame Danso and other places.

    “Ahead of their recruitment, we held various capacity-building sessions for them and assisted them in preparing their documentation. Out of the lot that expressed interest, only a few made it through the process, and it is these few that visited the solution centre to thank the administrators for their support.

    “The Ejisu Solution Centre will continue to assist young persons who need support in finding job placement in Ghana; the Ejisu Club 100 has been of immense support to young entrepreneurs as well. Together we can create wealth and build a prosperous Ghana.”

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • Ghanacard as a travel document takes effect – Ghana Immigration Service

    The Ghana Immigration Service has announced that from today (Tuesday, March 1, 2022), Ghanaian holders of the Ghana Card can travel on it into Ghana from all parts of the world.

    A press statement by the Ghana Immigration Service on Monday explained that dual citizen Ghanaians, who hitherto required visas to return to Ghana on their foreign passports, will also now be able to travel back to Ghana on their Ghana Card, without requiring entry visas.

    The affirmative statement by the Ghana Immigration Service follows a similar one by the Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL) last month, which asked all airlines in the world through the International Air Transport Association (IATA), that the Ghana Card, would from March 1, 2022, be recognised as an electronic international travelling identity document for all holders of the Ghana Card.

    The GACL’s announcement to the airlines, followed a Key Ceremony at the headquarters of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in Montreal, Canada, to officially recognise the Ghana Card as a Machine Readable Travel Document (MRTD).

    As the Ghana Card e-passport takes effect, the Ghana Immigration Authority’s press statement has thrown more light on the Ghana Card as an e-passport and its limitations. 

    For now, as was announced by the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, holders of the Ghana Card can now use it to travel back to Ghana from any part of the world, as well as use it for travels within the ECOWAS region, which does not require entry visas.

    The second phase of the Ghana Card e-passport will be when Ghana reaches bilateral agreements with countries, which will make it possible for Ghanaian holders of the Ghana Card to use it to travel to other countries with electronic visas issued on the card.

    The Ghana Immigration Service has also announced measures it has put in place at the airport to process Ghanaians returning home on their Ghana Card.

    Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia first announced the government had nearly completed the process to turn the Ghana Card into an electronic travelling document for Ghanaians (e-passport) by the end of the first quarter of the year.

    The e-passport idea received a major boost when the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) recognised the Ghana card as a
    Machine Readable Travel Document (MRTD) that can be read and verified by the ICAO Public Key Directory (PKD) at most airports globally.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Public urged to report illegal migrants to police

    The Deputy Superintendent of Police Mr Andreas Korjo Mifetu, the Ada District Police Commander, has called on the public to report illegal activities by strangers and migrants to the police.

    This, he said, would help to curb the menace of criminal activities in the country.

    He was speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency after the Ada Police Command arrested nine illegal Nigerian migrants at Ada Foah Clinic Junction on Sunday, April 17, 2021.

    He said the police gathered intelligence that a boat was ferrying some Nigerians who were believed to be jailbreakers who got their way into Ghana through illegal means from Anyanui in the Volta Region to Ada Foah in the Greater Accra Region.

    “We set in motion our operational strategy and around 1030 hours, we intercepted a Sprinter Bus with registration number ER 1657-14 carrying nine Nigerians, including a female.

    He said they would be charged for unlawful entry into Ghana because interrogations proved that they were in Ghana for the first time. After all, they had only personal belongings, including money and passports on them.

    DSP A.K Mifetu, therefore, urged the people of Ada to be on alert along the coasts of Ada since it was a possible gateway for illegal migrants, criminals, and terrorists.

    Source: GNA

  • GIS uncovers fraudulent recruitment scam

    The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has arrested one Awuah Forson, 46, and another, for allegedly defrauding about 30 young people on the pretext of securing for them placements in the service.

    It is reported that Forson, together with one Ekow Harkman, 71, managed to defraud about 30 people to the tune of GH¢250,000.00 with the promise of recruitment into the Ghana Immigration Service.

    Assistant Commissioner of Immigration (ACI) James Hayford Boadi, who is Officer-in-Charge of Operations at the Tema Regional Command, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Tema, cautioned job seekers of activities of recruitment scams.

    He said “this is not the first time such an arrest has been made and certainly it will not be the last,” and warned young people seeking employment to be vigilant.

    ACI Boadi said GIS does not sublet its recruitment process to either individuals or groups of individuals; “every recruitment exercise is done by the GIS alone under the supervision of the Ministry of the Interior”.

    He advised those who want to join the service to go through the proper process and not to pay money to anybody, because, in the end, they would not be recruited and they would also lose their money.

    Deputy Superintendent of Immigration (DSI) Mercy Budu, who is the GIS Tema Regional Public Relations Officer, said a victim, name withheld, paid about GH¢10,000.00 to the suspect.

    She said the victim afterward went to the Immigration Training Academy at Assin Fosu to find out whether the said Forson was actually an employee of the service.

    Ms. Budu said the victim discovered that there was no one by that name and reliased that she had been defrauded, her reaction to the fact caught the attention of Assistant Superintendent of Immigration (ASI) Roland Abdul Aziz Issah, who then gave the information to the Tema Regional Command.

    She said in a collaborative move by the immigration officers from Assin Fosu and the Tema Regional Command, Forson and Harkman were picked up at Community Eight, Tema.

    DSI Budu said some GIS officers posed as persons who are interested in recruitment into the service, and the suspects were arrested in that setup.

    The Tema GIS Regional PRO advised persons to seek information directly from the GIS as there are officers in every district in Ghana.

    She commended the Tema Regional Commander, ACI Kojo Oppong Yeboah, and the Commandant of the GIS Training Academy at Assin Fosu, ACI Alex Adu for their oversight during the exercise.

    Source: GNA