The Minister for the Interior, Hon. Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has described the growing presence of street beggars and sex workers in Ghana’s urban centres as a national security threat, announcing a nationwide operation to address the issue.
Speaking during a visit to Tamale on Thursday, May 22, where he commissioned a newly constructed four-storey, 24-unit apartment block for the Ghana Immigration Service, the minister outlined plans to restore order and decency in five major cities, including the Northern Regional capital.
According to the minister, the Ministry of the Interior, working in conjunction with the country’s security agencies, will soon roll out an intensive campaign to remove street dwellers, especially foreign nationals involved in begging and commercial sex work.
“We are not dealing with this simply as a social nuisance but as a security issue. These individuals often operate in syndicates, and their unchecked presence poses risks to urban safety and cohesion,” Muntaka said.
The minister disclosed that a recent operation in Accra led to the arrest of over 2,000 foreign beggars, nearly half of whom have already been repatriated. The remaining individuals, he added, would be processed and returned to their countries of origin by the end of the week.
He also issued a firm warning to foreign sex workers operating in public spaces across the country: “They must return to their countries voluntarily, or we will enforce the law and remove them by force. This is not just a clean-up—it’s an enforcement of national policy.”
Hon. Muntaka, who also serves as the Member of Parliament for Asawase, assured Ghanaians that the ministry would not relent in its efforts to ensure safe and orderly urban environments. He reaffirmed the government’s broader objective of restoring discipline to public spaces, stating that the crackdown is part of a holistic effort to safeguard the country’s social fabric.
The initiative comes as Ghana continues to grapple with urban migration, homelessness, and a rise in informal street economies, which authorities argue have outpaced regulation and pose challenges to security and urban planning.
