PAG flagbearer opposes deportation of migrant street beggars

The 2028 presidential candidate of the Progressive Alliance for Ghana (PAG), Dr John Enyonam Kpikpi, has criticised plans to deport more than 1,000 migrant street beggars recently removed from the streets of Accra and Kumasi.

Dr Kpikpi said Ghana should adopt a more compassionate approach towards vulnerable migrants rather than deporting them, arguing that many of those involved are women and children who require protection and rehabilitation.

His comments follow an operation by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), which removed 1,055 migrant street beggars from Accra and Kumasi as part of a nationwide exercise targeting undocumented migrants and organised begging networks.

“This is sounding like a South African replay. We should set an example for the rest of Africa by taking these vulnerable people on and caring for them. Africa is all one. No deportations!” he said.

The PAG flagbearer said Ghana had a moral and Pan-African responsibility to provide vulnerable migrants with shelter, care and support while addressing the underlying causes of poverty and displacement.

Meanwhile, the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed, has defended the government’s enforcement measures, saying they are aimed at tackling irregular migration, human trafficking, street begging and transnational organised crime.

Speaking during the Government Accountability Series on Monday, August 24, 2026, the Minister said the GIS removed 2,281 migrant beggars and 774 illegal immigrants involved in organised crime by the end of 2025.

He said the enforcement exercise had continued into 2026, with 960 migrant beggars removed from the streets of Accra and Kumasi between January and July. During the same period, 186 foreign nationals involved in unlawful activities were also removed.

Mr Mubarak said the government was mindful of Ghana’s obligations under the ECOWAS Protocol on the free movement of persons, as well as its diplomatic relations with other countries.

He stressed that all enforcement operations were being conducted in accordance with the law and with respect for human dignity.

The Minister also attributed some challenges in dealing with irregular migration to logistical and operational constraints rather than a lack of political commitment.

He said the government had reached a high-level agreement to provide border control agencies with dedicated logistical support to strengthen border security and increase the scale of enforcement operations.

Source: 3news.com