The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has embarked on a decongestion exercise in parts of Accra early on Friday, May 16, 2025, to clear street children and their guardians from the streets.
According to the GIS, the operation is part of broader efforts to rid the city of non-Ghanaian dwellers who have taken over commercial hubs in Accra to solicit for alms.
Friday’s operation was carried out at Kaneshie and Abossey Okai, where some of these street dwellers, particularly minors, are based.
The Service rounded up these people, mostly women with children, into Immigration vehicles. The officers engaged with the dwellers on the sidewalks and intersections where they usually ply their alms-soliciting activities before taking them away from the place.
It is expected that this decongestion exercise will enhance public safety and curb child exploitation, where children as young as three years old are left at busy intersections to beg pedestrians and motorists for alms.
The exercise also aims to identify individuals residing in the country illegally and ensure that proper immigration procedures are followed.
People have raised concerns over the increasing rate of this development, where young ones are brought from neighboring countries, including Chad and Niger, to indulge in alms begging.
Some security experts have also raised concerns about a potential national security threat from these activities, warning that it should be addressed head-on.
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