The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has reaffirmed his ministry’s commitment to removing beggars and street dwellers from major cities across the country.
During a working visit to the Northern Region, the minister announced that his ministry, in collaboration with the security services, will soon launch a nationwide operation targeting five key cities, including Tamale.
Speaking on Thursday, May 22, at the commissioning of a four-storey, 24-unit apartment block constructed by the State Housing Company for the Ghana Immigration Service in Tamale, Muntaka reiterated the government’s resolve to restore order and decency to urban streets.
He revealed that a recent swoop in Accra led to the apprehension of over 2,000 foreign beggars, nearly half of whom have already been repatriated. He added that the remaining individuals are expected to be processed and removed by the end of the week.
The minister also issued a stern warning to prostitutes operating openly on the streets, emphasizing that they too would be removed and repatriated to their respective countries.
The Asawase lawmaker cautioned such individuals to leave voluntarily or face forced removal by the ministry.
“The beggars are not a nuisance but a threat to our national security. By the close of this week, we should be able to finish removing all of them. I can assure the rest of them that they either return to where they are coming from, because very soon, we are coming after all of them, including the prostitutes who are parading on almost all our streets. We will not rest on our oars, we will go after them until we remove all of them,” he warned.
