The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has rescued 606 undocumented migrants in a major crackdown on street begging networks in the Ashanti Region.
The intelligence-led operation was carried out by the Ashanti Regional Command in the early hours of Tuesday, April 21, 2026. It began at 03:30 hours and targeted several identified hotspots in Kumasi where the networks were known to operate.
A total of 606 individuals were rounded up during the exercise. They include 381 children, 153 males, and 72 females.
The operation covered key areas in the metropolis, including Asawase, Alabar, Akwatia Line, Dagomba Line, Sabon Zongo, and Aboabo. Many of those rescued are believed to be victims of organised human trafficking and forced begging.
The GIS says the exercise forms part of a broader nationwide campaign to address the growing menace of organised street begging networks across the country.
A similar operation conducted on April 15, 2026, in the Greater Accra Region led to the safe repatriation of 356 West African nationals to Niger, Nigeria, and Burkina Faso.
The Service has also collaborated with the Nigerian High Commission in Accra to assist 89 Nigerian nationals in regularising their documentation and handing them over to relevant anti-human trafficking authorities in Nigeria.
According to the GIS, street begging is prohibited for both citizens and non-citizens under the Beggars and Destitute Act, 1969 (NLCD 392). Offenders face penalties including fines, imprisonment for up to three months, or both.