The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has raised concerns over increasing migration from the Sahel into Ghana, warning that climate change is putting pressure on communities and could heighten security challenges along the country’s Northern borders.
Speaking at the Climate Talks 2026: Building climate-security resilience in Ghana, Felix Agyeman-Bosompem, Deputy Commissioner and Regional Commander of the GIS in the Upper East Region, said rising temperatures, drought, drying rivers and water bodies, and the loss of livelihoods and livestock were forcing people to migrate to the Northern Ghana.
The event on Wednesday, August 12, 2026 is organised by Media General in collaboration with the German Embassy. It took place at the Akayet Hotel in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region.
According to him, the influx of the migrants is putting additional pressure on local systems and resources, while in some cases creating tensions between migrants and host communities.
Mr Agyeman-Bosompem expressed concern about the difficulty in identifying and monitoring some migrants because many enter Ghana without travel documents and use unofficial routes to cross the country’s borders.
“These people when coming in don’t come with travel documents that we can really tell that these are the kinds of people that we are admitting in to our country. Majority of them are also not using the approved borders,” he stated.
He disclosed that the Upper East Region alone has 55 recognised unapproved crossing points, with new routes emerging frequently due to the difficult terrain.
“In this region alone, we have 55 recognised unapproved crossing entries and counting. You put officers here today and tomorrow another one is created,” he said.
He noted that inadequate resources is one of the major challenges confronting border management.
However, he said the government was supporting the GIS to strengthen surveillance and security along the borders.
“The challenge has always been our resources but then the government is doing very well,” he added.
He disclosed that the GIS would soon deploy about 19 fully equipped anti-ballistic cabins at strategic locations across the region to monitor border activities as well as drones to enable officers to monitor hard-to-reach areas and respond more effectively to activities along the borders.
“We are doing what we can with support from government and other development partners,” he said.
Mr Agyeman-Bosompem further highlighted community engagement and community policing as important components of the GIS strategy to address emerging border security challenges.
He stressed that climate change was increasingly influencing migration patterns and urged intensified efforts to protect Ghana’s borders.
“Climate change is real and attracting people into our country, and then we need to put in more effort to ensure our country is safe,” he said.
