Interior Minister announces nationwide crackdown on beggars and street prostitutes

Interior Minister, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has declared a nationwide operation targeting beggars and street-based sex workers in five major cities in the country. An initiative aiming to restore public order, address national security and urban cleanliness.

Speaking during the commissioning of a new housing facility for the Ghana Immigration Service in Tamale, Minister Mubarak emphasized that the presence of beggars and sex workers in urban areas poses a significant threat to national security. He revealed that a recent operation in Accra led to the arrest of over 2,000 foreign beggars, with nearly half already repatriated.

 The remaining individuals are expected to be processed and removed by the end of the week.
The minister issued a stern warning to street-based sex workers, stating that they would also be removed and returned to their countries of origin. He advised those involved in these vices to either leave voluntarily or face forced removal by authorities.

A similar action in June 2023 saw over 50 prostitutes predominantly of Nigerian descent, arrested in Koforidua during a police operation aimed at curbing commercial sex work in the area.

Hon Muntaka Mubarak reaffirmed the government’s commitment to restoring order and decency to urban areas when he said, “The beggars are not a nuisance but a threat to our national security.” He assured the public that the operation would continue until all individuals involved are removed from the streets.

The nationwide operation is expected to intensify in the coming days, with security services collaborating to enforce the crackdown across the targeted cities.