Officials of the Ghana Immigration Service in the Ashanti Region say they will repatriate some foreign nationals who recently entered the country illegally when the borders are re-opened.
The over 200 nationals from neighbouring West African countries, according to the regional Security council, entered without proper documentation.
President Nana Akufo-Addo had warned that foreigners who entered the country during this period would be severely dealt with alongside their Ghanaian accomplices.
But the Ashanti Regional Commander of the Ghana Immigration Service, Assistant Commissioner of Immigration, Michael Kwadade, tells Citi News the Service cannot recommend any punitive action against the foreigners since most of them are ECOWAS nationals.
“They will be repatriated. Currently, the borders are closed so when the borders are opened, they will be closed. They have been tested. Some are in hotels while others are in accommodations around the region. We have 167 Beninoise, 30 Sierra Leoneneans, two Malians, 25 Togolese and two Gambians who are been taken care of by the Regional Coordinating Council. Most of them are ECOWAS nationals so we will just have to repatriate them and not take any stricter punitive actions against them.”
Ghana has closed its land, sea, and air borders to human traffic.
The move is part of efforts to stop the spread of Coronavirus in the country, yet some foreigners continue to illegally find their way into Ghana.
20 Burkinabes busted for entering Ghana illegally
The Immigration officials in the Upper West Region earlier in the month arrested 20 Burkina Faso nationals who came into Ghana without approval amidst the Coronavirus outbreak.
The 20 were busted at Tumo-Dakpla junction in the Lawra Municipality en route Wa in the early hours of today, Wednesday, April 15, 2020.
Border closure: We’ll deal with illegal immigrants, Ghanaian accomplices – Nana Addo
President Akufo-Addo has said foreigners who enter into Ghana within this period when the country’s borders have been closed will be dealt with together with their Ghanaian accomplices.
The President said this on Sunday, April 26, 2020, when he addressed the nation on measures put in place to curb the spread of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Ghana.
